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PubMed2003

Measures for low back pain: a proposal for clinical use.

Low back pain represents a serious public health problem. Therefore, great efforts have been made in order to improve and assess the efficacy of its treatment. Reports in international literature have presented important studies concerning instruments to assess pain and functional incapacity in patients with low back pain. This study presents a clinical protocol which was developed by a multidisciplinary team. This protocol consists of the evaluation and distribution of pain, The Spitzer Quality of Life, The Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and The Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Instruments must be urgently developed or adapted in order to be used according to the Brazilian reality.

Clinical Protocols↗
PubMed2002

Efficacy of the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic low back pain: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain affects a large proportion of the population. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) was introduced more than 30 years ago as an alternative therapy to pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain. However, despite its widespread use, the efficacy of TENS is still controversial. PURPOSE: The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the efficacy of TENS in the treatment of chronic low back pain. METHODS: The authors searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PEDro, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to June 1, 2000. Only randomized controlled clinical trials of TENS for the treatment of patients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic low back pain were included. Abstracts were excluded unless further data could be obtained from the authors. Two reviewers independently selected trials and extracted data using predetermined forms. DATA ANALYSIS: Heterogeneity was tested with Cochrane's Q test. A fixed effects model was used throughout for continuous variables, except where heterogeneity existed, in which case, a random effects model was used. Results are presented as weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals, where the difference between the treated and control groups was weighted by the inverse of the variance. Standardized mean differences were calculated by dividing the difference between the treated and control by the baseline variance. Standardized mean differences were used when different scales were integrated to measure the same concept. Dichotomous outcomes were analyzed with odds ratios. MAIN RESULTS: Five trials were included, with 170 subjects randomized to the placebo group receiving sham TENS and 251 subjects receiving active TENS (153 for conventional mode, 98 for acupuncture-like TENS). The schedule of treatments varied greatly between studies ranging from one treatment/day for 2 consecutive days, to three treatments/day for 4 weeks. There were no statistically significant differences between the active TENS group compared with the placebo TENS group for any outcome measures. Subgroup analysis performed on TENS application and methodologic quality did not demonstrate a significant statistical difference (P > 0.05). Remaining preplanned subgroup analysis was not conducted because of the small number of included trials and the variety of outcome measures reported. CONCLUSION: The results of the meta-analysis present no evidence to support the use or nonuse of TENS alone in the treatment of chronic low back pain. Considering the small number of studies responding to the criteria to be included in this meta-analysis, it is clear that more appropriately designed studies are needed before a final conclusion. Clinicians and researchers should consistently report the characteristics of the TENS device and the application techniques used. New trials on TENS should make use of standardized outcome measures. This meta-analysis lacked data on how TENS efficacy is affected by four important factors: type of applications, site of application, treatment duration of TENS, and optimal frequencies and intensities.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Natural history of low back pain. A longitudinal study in nurses.

STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal study. OBJECTIVES: To assess the natural history of low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Most episodes of low back pain resolve or improve within a few weeks, but chronic or recurrent symptoms are common. Previous studies of natural history have usually relied on people's long-term recall of symptoms, or they have been limited to patients seeking clinical care. METHODS: Nurses (1,165 women) completed a baseline questionnaire and up to eight follow-up questionnaires 3 months apart. Each questionnaire asked whether they had experienced low back pain in the past month. One-month prevalences of pain at specified follow-ups were calculated according to histories of pain reported on earlier questionnaires. RESULTS: The 1-month prevalence of low back pain at individual follow-ups ranged from 16% to 19%. Of 906 women who completed the baseline questionnaire and at least three follow-up questionnaires, 38 (4.2%) reported pain every time they returned a questionnaire, and 190 (21.0%) reported pain on at least three occasions. The presence or absence of low back pain at baseline was highly predictive of future pain throughout follow-up. The longer that back pain was consistently reported, the more likely it was to be present at the next follow-up. Later risk was lowest in women who reported no back pain at baseline or either of the first two follow-ups. Back pain carried a worse prognosis if it was disabling or associated with sciatica. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm the importance of back pain duration and the occurrence of associated disability and sciatica as predictors of future symptoms, and allow more reliable quantification of the natural history of back pain in women of working age. In the absence of other information, the differentials in risk associated with a person's history of back pain appear to remain constant for a period of at least 2 years.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Height, occupation and back pain in a national prospective study.

Back pain is an important public health problem but there is a paucity of knowledge about risk factors and causal mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that tall men are more at risk of back pain, although observations in women have been less consistent. This paper presents findings from a national longitudinal study of 3262 men and women aged 43 yr. Standing height and sitting height were related to 18-month reported prevalence of 'sciatica, lumbago or severe backache' in both men and women. The paper investigates explanations for these findings using previously collected data on childhood growth and detailed lifetime occupational histories. Neither greater susceptibility of tall men to heavy lifting, nor the timing of growth, were able to account for these relationships. To assess further the association between height and back pain, information is needed on the relationship between stature and characteristics of spinal structure.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Risk factors for back pain among male farmers: analysis of Iowa Farm Family Health and Hazard Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: Back pain causes considerable morbidity, disability, and economic loss among workers. Farmers handle heavy objects, often in awkward postures. However, the prevalence of back pain among farmers and the risk factors associated with back pain are not well known. METHODS: In this study, we assess the frequency of risk factors for back pain among 287 Iowa male farmers. From 1992 to 1994, using a mail questionnaire, we collected data on potential risk factors for back pain. Eighteen months later, we surveyed occurrence of back pain as the outcome measure. RESULTS: Thirty-one percent of farmers reported having daily back pain for a week or more during the past 12 months compared to 18.5% in the general working population. Using a multiple logistic regression model, we found two factors associated with back pain: 45-59 years of age (OR = 2.13, 95% CI 1.02-4.43) and having a non-agricultural job as the major occupation (OR = 2.02, 95% CI 0.98-4.17, P = 0.055). CONCLUSIONS: Farmers had a significantly higher prevalence of back pain than the general working population. Middle-aged farmers and those with additional non-agricultural jobs had the highest risk for back pain.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Low back pain of thoracolumbar origin.

Low back pain arising from the apophyseal joints of the thoracolumbar region is common and is often erroneously attributed to pathologic changes in the low back. The diagnosis is made on pure clinical grounds. Classic signs are: a positive "iliac-crest point" test, a positive skin-rolling test, localized tenderness over a certain spinous process at the thoracolumbar junction and tenderness over the involved apophyseal joint. The diagnosis is confirmed by a periapophyseal joint block using a local anesthetic. Of 350 patients seen in a back pain clinic, 40% were found to have pain of thoracolumbar origin. Treatment included manipulation, infiltration with corticosteroids, electrocoagulation and/or surgical denervation of the involved apophyseal joint.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Analysis by sex of low back pain among workers from small companies in the Paris area: severity and occupational consequences.

OBJECTIVES: To describe workers with low back symptoms, to identify risk factors and to assess the occupational consequences separately in men and women. METHODS: A descriptive study was conducted between 1 October 1996 and 31 December 1996 in a sample of workers selected at random from all types of small companies in the Paris area. A group of 202 occupational physicians interviewed 7129 workers with a standardised questionnaire including the Nordic questionnaire. Data analysis was performed by sex in the two groups: with low back pain and without low back pain over the previous 12 months. The group with low back pain was then divided into four subgroups: mild cases (without referred pain), moderate cases (with referred pain above the knee), serious cases (with referred pain below the knee), and low back pain with occupational consequences. RESULTS: 7010 questionnaires were able to be evaluated. The sample consisted of 54.8% of men (3842) and 45.2% of women (3168), with a mean age of 37.8 and 37.0 years, respectively (p < 0.05). The following risk factors occurred significantly more often in men: high weight, height, body mass index (BMI), smoking, number of children, increased driving time and work time, material handling tasks, uncomfortable working positions. Most women were clerks (53%). Non-conditional logistic regression applied to the whole sample identified female sex as a risk factor (odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.58 to 2.13). The following risk factors were common to both sexes: lifting weights > 10 kg, in women (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.27 to 2.25) and in men (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.53), uncomfortable working positions (OR 2.04, 95% CI 1.58 to 2.17 and OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.69 to 2.43), and absence of means to achieve good quality work (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.63 and OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.65), respectively. Driving was a risk factor only in men and its importance increased with driving time (driving > 4 hours a day (OR 1.61, 95% CI 1.24 to 2.09)). Severe low back pain was linked to female sex (10.2% of women v 6.6% of men), high BMI, aging, and uncomfortable working positions. Low back pain with occupational consequences (n = 258) was not linked to sex, but only to aging and severity. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and severity of low back pain were higher in women, although they seemed to be less exposed to known occupational risk factors. However, our results indicate a preponderance of these risk factors among female workers. Particular attention must therefore be paid to lifting of weights and uncomfortable working positions in female jobs (clerk, trading, health care staff).

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Local and general rest in the treatment of common low back pain].

The routine prescription of rest for patients with common low back pain is now widely questioned. Local rest using lumbar corsets and back supports is useful only in case of acute or extreme low back pain, in particular if trauma is involved. In chronic low back pain, such support should be used only to facilitate pursuit of an at-risk professional activity. In acute low back pain, general rest should be indicated by the intensity of pain and not prescribed as a treatment itself. General prolonged rest in acute low back pain has now been demonstrated to entail nefarious long-term effects. In the patient with chronic low back pain, general rest will favour loss of physical condition and exacerbate the difficulties socio-professional rehabilitation.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2004

Prognostic factors related to recurrent low-back pain and sickness absence.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed at determining the prognostic factors related to the recurrence of low-back pain and future sickness absence due to low-back pain. METHODS: Data were used from a prospective cohort study in a working population with a 3-year follow-up period. They were collected with annual questionnaires. A generalized estimating equation model was used to study the relation between pain characteristics, individual characteristics, and work-related factors and the recurrence of low-back pain or sickness absence due to low-back pain in the following year. Adjustments were made for potential confounders. RESULTS: All the pain characteristics [odds ratios (OR) varying from 1.4 to 2.4], flexion and rotation of the upper part of the body [OR 1.6, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 1.1-2.5], low decision authority (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.6), and low job satisfaction (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.0-2.3), increased the risk of recurrent low-back pain. High disability due to low-back pain (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.2-5.7), low co-worker support (OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6-10.5), and low job satisfaction (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.3-4.5) were predictors of sickness absence due to low-back pain. Lifting weights did not influence the risk of recurrences or sick leave. CONCLUSIONS: According to this study, high disability due to low-back pain is a prognostic factor for recurrent low-back pain and future sickness absence due to low-back pain. In addition, the following work-related factors predict a poor prognosis of low-back pain: flexion or rotation of the trunk, low job satisfaction, low decision authority, and low social support.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Coordinative treatment and quality of life - a randomised trial of nurses with back pain].

BACKGROUND DATA: The influence of strength training on back conditions has been demonstrated quite well, whereas coordinative training being a major component of physical therapy regarding preventive and rehabilitative treatment of back pain is used only occasionally and has been evaluated even more rarely. One has to consider this fact regarding the still growing number of musculo-skeletal diseases. AIM OF STUDY: The influence of several preventive therapies (coordination training in spacecurl, kinaesthetics/back protective patient transfer) has been investigated with regard to coordination, back pain and quality of life in a randomised controlled study. METHODS: We used an assessment-set consisting of a specially devised questionnaire regarding job demands, sports activity and back pain and the WHOQOL-BREF for control of quality of life. These methods were combined with body surface electromyography and posturography. Those methods enabled us to determine parameters such as coordination, back pain and quality of life at 3 different stages (untrained individuals) and 4 points (trained individuals) respectively. RESULTS: Trained individuals showed a significant reduction of back pain frequency (p = 0.016) before and after training. In comparison there was no difference in untrained individuals. Furthermore trained individuals showed an increase in quality of life of 5.4 % (p = 0.028), whereas again there was no difference in untrained individuals. Somatic diagnostics (body surface electromyography, posturography) showed significant changes only in the trained group. CONCLUSION: The used coordination training program is enhancing coordination and reducing back pain whilst having a positive effect upon the quality of life of an individual.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Low back pain caused by a duodenal ulcer.

The common diagnoses in low back pain are lumbar strain, lumbosacral radiculopathy, osteoarthritis, degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and sacroiliac joint dysfunction. Unusual causes of low back pain that have been previously identified include abdominal aortic aneurysms, pelvic neoplasms, and retroperitoneal hemorrhages. This report describes a case of back pain that was apparently caused by a duodenal ulcer. A 54-year-old man with no significant medical history presented with a complaint of mid to low back pain (T10-L2), which was diagnosed as joint dysfunction. A comprehensive treatment program was prescribed and the patient was instructed to return to clinic in 4 weeks. Three weeks later, he experienced a syncopal episode followed by coffee ground emesis. He immediately sought medical attention at an emergency room, where he was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of upper gastrointestinal bleed. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed a large duodenal ulcer, and the patient underwent vagotomy and pyloroplasty. He returned to his physiatrist's office 3 weeks after hospital discharge with minimal back pain. The cause of the back pain proved to be referred visceral pain from his duodenal ulcer. This case is presented to reemphasize the need to include the uncommon phenomena in the differential diagnosis of low back pain.

Duodenal Ulcer↗
PubMed2006

Back pain in athletes.

The athlete with back pain presents a clinical challenge. Self-limited symptoms must be distinguished from persistent or recurrent symptoms associated with identifiable pathology. Athletes involved in impact sports appear to have risk factors for specific spinal pathologies that correlate with the loading and repetition demands of specific activities. For example, elite athletes who participate in longer and more intense training have higher incidence rates of degenerative disk disease and spondylolysis than athletes who do not. However, data suggest that the recreational athlete may be protected from lumbar injury with physical conditioning. Treatment of athletes with acute or chronic back pain usually is nonsurgical, and symptoms generally are self-limited. However, a systematic approach to the athlete with back pain, involving a thorough history and physical examination, pertinent imaging, and treatment algorithms designed for specific diagnoses, can facilitate symptomatic improvement and return to play. There are no reliable studies examining the long-term consequences of athletic activity on the lumbar spine.

Athletic Injuries↗
PubMed2006

Inflammatory back pain in ankylosing spondylitis: a reassessment of the clinical history for application as classification and diagnostic criteria.

OBJECTIVE: Back pain associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is referred to as inflammatory back pain (IBP). The value of the clinical history in differentiating IBP from mechanical low back pain (MLBP) has been investigated in only a few studies. In this exploratory study, we sought to evaluate the individual features of IBP and to compose and compare various combinations of features for use as classification and diagnostic criteria. METHODS: We assessed the clinical history of 213 patients (101 with AS and 112 with MLBP) younger than 50 years who had chronic back pain. Single clinical parameters and combinations of parameters were compared between the AS and MLBP patient groups. RESULTS: Morning stiffness of >30 minutes' duration, age at onset of back pain, no improvement in back pain with rest, awakening because of back pain during the second half of the night only, alternating buttock pain, and time period of the onset of back pain were identified as independent contributors to IBP. Importantly, none of the single parameters sufficiently differentiated AS from MLBP. In contrast, several sets of combined parameters proved to be well balanced between sensitivity and specificity. Among these, a new candidate set of criteria for IBP, which consisted of morning stiffness of >30 minutes' duration, improvement in back pain with exercise but not with rest, awakening because of back pain during the second half of the night only, and alternating buttock pain, yielded a sensitivity of 70.3% and a specificity of 81.2% if at least 2 of these 4 parameters were fulfilled (positive likelihood ratio 3.7). If at least 3 of the 4 parameters were fulfilled, the positive likelihood ratio increased to 12.4. CONCLUSION: A new set of criteria for IBP performed better than previous criteria in AS patients with established disease. A prospective study is needed to validate the diagnostic properties of the new candidate criteria set in patients with early disease.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Prevalence of low back pain in alpine ski instructors.

STUDY DESIGN: Mailed survey to random sample of a specific population. OBJECTIVES: To examine the lifetime and point prevalence of low back pain among alpine ski instructors. BACKGROUND: The lifetime prevalence for back pain is up to 60% among some athletes. Published literature documents back pain among athletes participating in many sports. However, the prevalence of low back pain among alpine ski instructors has not been established. METHODS AND MEASURES: Surveys were mailed to 500 randomly selected members of the Professional Ski Instructors of America. The lifetime and point prevalence were determined by respondents' report regarding history of low back pain and current back pain. RESULTS: Two hundred four (75% of the 272 respondents) reported a history of low back pain. Eighty-five of those who responded (31%) reported current back pain. Over 9% of respondents missed 10 or more days of work because of back pain. CONCLUSIONS: The lifetime prevalence of back pain among respondents was similar to the general population. The respondents reported more lifetime prevalence of back pain than athletes of many other sports. The high prevalence of back pain among ski instructors may increase cost and decrease revenue for the employer. Prevention training in this population may decrease the prevalence of back pain and lessen costs to the employer and the alpine ski instructor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The course of pain drawings during a 10-week treatment period in patients with acute and sub-acute low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Pain drawings are widely used as an assessment of patients' subjective pain in low back pain patients being considered for surgery. Less work has been done on primary health care patients. Moreover, the possible correlation between pain drawing modalities and other pain assessment methods, such as pain score and functional variables needs to be described. Thus, the objectives were to describe the course of pain drawings during treatment in primary health care for low back pain patients. METHODS: 160 primary health care outpatients with acute or sub-acute low back pain were studied during 10 weeks of a stay active concept versus manual therapy in addition to the stay active concept. The patients filled out 3 pain drawings each, at baseline and after 5 and 10 weeks of treatment. In addition the patients also reported pain and functional variables during the 3 measurement periods. RESULTS: The proportion of areas marked, the mean number of areas marked (pain drawing score), mean number of modalities used (area score), and the proportion of patients with pain radiation all decreased during the 10-week treatment period. Most of the improvement occurred during the first half of the period. The seven different pain modalities in the pain drawing were correlated to pain and functional variables. In case of no radiation some modalities were associated with more pain and disability than others, a finding that grew stronger over time. For patients with pain radiation, the modality differences were smaller and inconsistent. CONCLUSION: Pain modalities are significantly correlated with pain and functional variables. There is a shift from painful modalities to less painful ones over time.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2001

Readiness to adopt adequate postural habits: an application of the Transtheoretical Model in the context of back pain prevention.

Based on a biomechanical model, an adequate body posture can contribute to the prevention of back pain and back pain chronicity. This study examines the explanatory value of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) for the adoption of adequate postural habits in a cross-sectional sample of 149 employees of a German administration unit (mean age 40.2 years, 50% female). Using newly developed instruments with satisfactory psychometric properties, basic assumptions of the TTM could be confirmed: self-efficacy and the perceived pros for maintaining a good body posture increased significantly across the stages, while the perceived cons decreased. Additionally, the use of preventive strategies for back pain prevention increased linearly and significantly across the stages of change. The study supports the applicability of the TTM for postural behavior. Considering stages of change as an intervening variable may contribute to clarifying the relationship between participation in low back schools and prevention of back pain chronicity. Longitudinal and intervention study data are needed to support these assumptions.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Disability determination: validity with occupational low back pain.

UNLABELLED: Disability determination for occupational low back pain challenges indemnification systems because spinal pathoanatomy is weakly related to pain intensity and functional capacity, making judgments of disability vulnerable to such confounding factors as sociodemographic variables (eg, race, socioeconomic status). To assess the contribution of impairment, race, and socioeconomic status to disability ratings and post settlement functional status, the current study investigated 580 African American and 892 white workers' compensation claimants with occupational low back pain who were surveyed an average of 21 months after claim settlement. Results indicated that diagnosis, surgery, and medical costs (indicators of impairment) were associated with disability ratings at the time of case settlement. African American race was negatively associated with disability ratings and also with diagnosis/surgery and medical costs. Disability ratings, however, correlated only weakly with post settlement status at 21-month follow-up. The association between race and disability ratings suggests that inequities operate in disability determination. Furthermore, the relative lack of association between disability ratings and postsettlement status raises questions about the validity of disability determination for workers' compensation claimants with low back pain. PERSPECTIVE: Results demonstrated apparent racial/ethnic disparities in treatment and little association between disability ratings and post settlement status. Together, these results raise questions about social justice in the management of occupational back pain, as well as the validity of associated disability determination processes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Multidisciplinary treatment of chronic pain: long-term follow-up of low-back pain patients.

Thirty-six patients with low-back pain who had been treated in our multidisciplinary pain center returned for 80-week follow-up evaluations by the staff pscyhologist, physiatrist and physical therapist. Statistically significant gains were maintained in the reduction of prescription analgesics and on 4 measures of physical functioning: (a) long-sittimg-to-toe; (b) straight-leg-raise; (c) knee-to-chest; and (d) overall exercise performance. Despite verbal reports of continuing pain, most patients claimed they were coping much better with it, and they displayed a marked reduction in their utilization of medical resources for further pain treatment. These long-term results suggest that a multidisciplinary approach can offer an effective means of treating chronic low-back pain.

Adaptation, Psychological↗