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PubMed2001

[Conceptual bases supporting the obtention of knowledge about back pain in pregnancy].

Low back pain is a problem that is faced by 50% of pregnant women and causes important social trouble. In spite of this, the problem is considered to be normal and is expected during pregnancy, which has contributed to the lack of prophylactic and relief measures. This work aims at under standing the historical and conceptual bases that have given rise to such naturalization as outlined by midwifery and by using world literature indexed on the topic from 1987 to 1997 as a theoretical framework. We have apprehended that a deterministic view related to this issue is supported by the biomedical model. Therefore, the adoption of effective solutions requires the incorporation of a new paradigm.

Back Pain↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Relationship between radiographic abnormalities of lumbar spine and incidence of low back pain in high school and college football players: a prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is a common presenting symptom among players of American football. In Japan, however, skeletal disorders in football players, including low back problems, have been rarely studied, and management to prevent skeletal disorders has not been established. STUDY DESIGN: An epidemiological study with prospective observation. METHODS: The authors analyzed the relationship between lumbar spine abnormalities viewed through radiographs taken during the preparticipation physical examination, and the incidence of low back pain during a 1-year period in 171 high school and 742 college football players. Abnormalities assessed were spondylolysis, disc space narrowing, spinal instability, Schmorl's node, balloon disc, and spina bifida occulta. RESULTS: High school players with spondylolysis had a higher incidence of low back pain (79.8%) than those with no abnormal radiographic results (37.1%). College players with spondylolysis, disc space narrowing, and spinal instability had a higher incidence of low back pain (80.5%, 59.8%, and 53.5%, respectively) than those with no abnormal radiographs (32.1%), and college players with spondylolysis had a higher incidence of low back pain than those with disc space narrowing and spinal instability. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study suggest that an abnormality such as spondylolysis is the most significant risk factor for low back pain in high school and college football players, and that disc space narrowing and spinal instability are also significant risk factors for low back pain in athletes with greater athletic activity such as college football players.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Back pain in helicopter aircrew: a literature review.

Back pain in helicopter aircrew has been reported by the med services of many countries. The problem is compared to the similar phenomenon of back pain in civilian industrial groups, particularly drivers and the operators of heavy equipment. In both drivers and helicopter aircrew, posture and vibration exposure have been identified as causes of the back pain. The significance of these factors, and the mechanisms that relate them to the discomfort, and possible solutions are discussed.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[What do we know about the symptoms of back pain? Epidemiological results on prevalence, incidence, progression and risk factors].

AIMS: This paper provides an overview of epidemiological findings concerning the prevalence and incidence of back pain, the underlying risk factors and health care utilization due to back pain. METHODS: Besides epidemiological studies, data from health care statistics and cost-of-illness studies were included in the systematic search. Relevant publications were identified using electronic literature databases (in particular Medline). RESULTS: Back-related disorders, classified according to the ICD-10 M40-M54 key are the major cause for receiving disability benefits. While back pain leads to a frequent demand for medical services, loss of production because of temporal sick leave is the major economic factor. In total, the estimated annual costs caused by back pain range between 16 and 22 billion euros. The life-time prevalence corresponds to the immense costs: 80 % report having ever experienced back pain. The point prevalence lies between 30 and 40 %. Approximately one-fourth to one-third of those affected suffer from clinically significant back pain. Recurrent as well as incident back pain is best predicted by prior back pain. The wide spectrum of other risk factors (depression, psychosocial distress, somatization, catastrophizing, dissatisfaction at work and sociodemographic as well as socioeconomic variables) underscores the multifaceted etiology of this symptom. CONCLUSION: Back pain belongs to the major individual and societal health problems in Germany. While extensive epidemiological evidence exists for the prevalence of back pain, its severity, course and associated risk factors, little systematic knowledge is available about the medical treatment of back pain.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2002

A biomechanical comparison of lifting techniques between subjects with and without chronic low back pain during freestyle lifting and lowering tasks.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if chronic low back pain patients perform manual material handling tasks differently from control subjects. DESIGN: Comparative study using a repeated measures design. BACKGROUND: No study evaluated the lifting technique of back pain patients relative to control subjects during free style lifting and lowering tasks. Previous findings suggest that lowering would be more hazardous than lifting to the low back. It would be interesting to evaluate if chronic low back pain patients behave differently than controls when lifting and lowering. METHODS: Thirty-three male subjects (18 controls, 15 suffering from non-specific chronic low back pain) participated. A 12-kg box was lifted (freestyle) from the floor to the hips (1) in front (symmetric task) or (2) to a shelf located at 90 degree on the right (asymmetric task) and was lowered back to the floor. A 3D biomechanical analysis involving the assessment of L5/S1 loading, posture of segments, inertial parameters, and EMG was performed. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups for postural (trunk and lower limb angles), inertial (trunk velocity and acceleration), and L5/S1 loading (moments and compression) variables. The patients showed abnormally low left lumbar erector spinae (symmetric task, lowering) or high left thoracic erector spinae (all tasks) EMG activation. Significant Group x Action (lifting vs. lowering) interactions were also observed for some inertial and L5/S1 loading variables suggesting that the biomechanical differences detected between lifting and lowering may have a differential influence on the technique used by back pain patients and control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The gross lifting technique of back pain patients was unaltered relative to controls but the activation of paraspinal muscles differed, suggesting that a more detailed biomechanical analysis, such as the use of EMG driven models, might be required to reveal lumbar impairments during lifting. RELEVANCE: To evaluate if chronic low back pain patients use naturally different lifting techniques to prevent pain exacerbation and damaged lumbar tissue overloading.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Perception of control and appraisal of illness in chronic low back pain.

People who experience chronic low back pain face significant changes in their lives, and it is unclear why some people adapt to the pain situation better than others. Using a cognitive appraisal model, outcomes of the pain situation were examined in 40 chronic low back pain patients using situational control and appraisal of illness as predicted mediating factors. This article presents background of the problem and the results of the study.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1988

Measuring the functional status of patients with low back pain.

For trials of back pain therapy and for many clinical purposes, the outcome of greatest interest may be patient functioning. Physical measurements of muscle strength and range of motion are only weakly correlated with actual patient behavior or symptoms, so the behavior and symptoms must be measured directly. Commonly used physician ratings on ordinal scales are often highly subjective and fail to distinguish particular activities which may improve from those which do not. This paper briefly considers the pressures for improving functional status measurement, describes five criteria for assessing and comparing functional questionnaires, and selectively reviews some newer instruments using these criteria. These newer instruments offer standardization of measurement, comprehensiveness, and generally good reproducibility and validity. Unfortunately, little is known about the responsiveness of these measures to small but clinically important changes. There is a need in this field to define the optimal balance between brevity on the one hand and comprehensiveness on the other, to assess and improve instrument responsiveness, and to compare instruments "head-to-head" to allow rational selection for particular applications.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2006

The course of low back pain from adolescence to adulthood: eight-year follow-up of 9600 twins.

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective study with 8-year follow-up. OBJECTIVE: To describe the evolution of low back pain from adolescence into adulthood. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: High prevalence rates of low back pain among children and adolescents have been demonstrated in several studies, and it has been theorized that low back pain in childhood may have important consequences for future low back pain. It is important to understand the nature of such a link if effective preventive programs are to be established. METHODS: Almost 10,000 Danish twins born between 1972 and 1982 were surveyed by means of postal questionnaires in 1994 and again in 2002. The questionnaires dealt with various aspects of general health, including the prevalence of low back pain, classified according to number of days affected (0, 1-7, 8-30, >30). RESULTS: Low back pain in adolescence was found to be a significant risk factor for low back pain in adulthood with odds ratios as high as four. We also demonstrated a dose-response association: the more days with low back pain at baseline, the higher the risk of future low back pain. Twenty-six percent of those with low back pain for more than 30 days during the baseline year also had more than 30 days with low back pain during the follow-up year. This was true for only 9% of the rest of the sample. CONCLUSIONS: Our study clearly demonstrates correlations between low back pain in childhood/adolescence and low back pain in adulthood. This should lead to a change in focus from the adult to the young population in relation to research, prevention, and treatment.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Predictors of efficacy in treatment of chronic low back pain.

The investigation of predictors for therapy outcome in patients with chronic low back pain date back to the early 1970s. Numerous well controlled prospective longitudinal studies have confirmed the predominant predictive power of several psychological factors, which are in addition to objective work related, medical and sociodemographic variables. Studies published in the review period have reported markedly improved methodological standards. Further progress is seen with the enhanced search for predictors of working situation in chronic low back pain patients. Finally, there is a shift toward the investigation of predictors for efficacy of primary care in acute and subchronic low back pain patients.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2003

Methodological challenges in studying recurrence of low back pain.

Recurrences of low back pain (LBP) have been shown to be both frequent and costly, with reported recurrence rates ranging from 5 to 82%. Numerous methodological approaches have been developed to identify recurrence but there has been no standardized definition of LBP recurrence or required follow-up time. The objective of this study was to compare the methodological approaches used to analyze LBP recurrence in seminal contributions and to describe the differences in definitions of LBP recurrence and follow-up structure. Twelve seminal articles were identified for review during which four types of LBP recurrence definition and two types of follow-up structure were recognized. Definitional and follow-up differences considerably contributed to variations in computed recurrence rates due either to measurement or other methodological shortcomings, such as loss to follow-up and sick person effect. The results suggest that there is a need to develop a standardized definition of LBP recurrence and a standardized approach to follow-up to allow direct comparisons of published research findings. The use of alternative definitions is also likely to impact analyses of risk factors contributing to LBP recurrence and direct and indirect costs associated with treating LBP.

Follow-Up Studies↗
PubMed1991

Low back pain.

The main causes of low back pain are intervertebral disc and facet joint dysfunction and spondylosis. It is important to differentiate between the pain of inflammation (worse at rest, relieved by activity) and that of mechanical dysfunction (worse on activity, relieved by rest). The key to diagnosis is understanding the daily patterns of back pain.

Back Pain↗
PubMed2003

Constructing the program impact theory for an evidence-based work rehabilitation program for workers with low back pain.

PURPOSE: Several low back pain work rehabilitation programs have been developed and evaluated for their outcomes. Unfortunately, the program impact theory for these programs is not described, and consequently, the exact mechanisms of action by which these programs intend to increase the probability of return to work remain unknown. This lack of knowledge jeopardizes the implementation of effective programs by health professionals and managers. The objective of this paper is to present the results of an exploratory study aimed at building the program impact theory for the PREVICAP work rehabilitation program. METHODS: The program impact theory was develop by conducting: unpublished documents and scientific literature analyses, individual and group discussions with multiple stakeholders and observation of program reality by reviewing the files of workers who completed the program. RESULTS: The PREVICAP program's impact theory was elaborated based on an ecological approach to work rehabilitation. Program goals and objectives were defined for the three dimensions of the model: the worker, the work environment and the interaction between the worker and his work environment. Two program action mechanisms were defined and describe how the program was intended to achieve its expected outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study made explicit the PREVICAP program impact theory and can help rehabilitation practitioners to address work disability according to an ecological model.

Canada↗
PubMed2000

[Imaging strategies in common low back pain].

Imaging strategy varies according to the background of acute or persistent low back pain. In case of acute low back pain with associated symptoms of a cauda equina syndrome or any atypical clinical signs PA and lateral radiographs of the lumbar spine are required. An additional MRI examination is often necessary, even with negative radiographs. In the other cases, radiographs are only obtained when the low back pain persists longer than 7 weeks. Secondary, MRI may be performed in case of worsening and persistence of the clinical symptoms or if a specific low back pain is suspected. In case of chronic low back pain, with a severe socio-professional impact or a planed invasive treatment, plain films of the lumbar spine must be obtained, eventually with additional MRI examination.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1984

Back pain in dentists.

An epidemiologic survey was made of the prevalence of back pain in a sample of 172 dentists in the Province of Saskatchewan. In addition, demographic, postural and other variables were studied to determine their effect on back pain. The overall prevalence of back pain in the sample was 57 percent, while the prevalence of low-back pain was 35.5 percent. A significant number of back pain sufferers indicated recurrent or constant pain, and many dentists reported practice as an aggravating factor.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Psychometric properties of the pain drawing and the Ransford technique in patients with chronic low back pain].

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was the analysis of the psychometric properties of the Ransford technique which is a qualitative scoring method of the pain drawing. It has been suggested that this method could be used as a brief screening technique for psychological involvement in pain complaints. METHODS: 109 patients with chronic back pain filled in the pain drawing which was rated according to the technique described by Ransford and colleagues in 1976. As external criterium of validity we chose a differentiated expert rating of psychological interference. RESULTS: The Ransford technique showed moderate to good coefficients of reliability (re-test, inter and intra-rater). On the other hand, the Ransford technique demonstrated very low indices of validity in order to give a prognosis about psychological interference. Sensitivity and specificity of the Ransford technique demonstrated inadequate values, which furthermore were independent from cut-off points. CONCLUSION: The pain drawing and the Ransford technique are not sufficiently sensitive and therefore allow no screening for psychological interference in complaints of back pain.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

SPET and three-phase planar bone scintigraphy in adult patients with chronic low back pain.

Among adults, low back pain (LBP) persisting for more than 3 months is a common complaint. A variety of imaging modalities including bone scintigraphy have been recommended as appropriate for the investigation of chronic LBP, even when there is no reason to suspect that the pain is due to tumour, infection or inflammatory arthritis. In this chronic LBP population, the diagnostic benefit of bone SPET, together with planar flow study, blood pool and delayed three-phase imaging, was assessed, Altogether, 2108 consecutive adult patients were entered into the chronic LBP bone scintigraphy database. Retrospective exclusion of patients with a history of tumour, infection or inflammatory arthritis reduced the population to 1390, of whom 916 underwent a lumbosacral spine flow study and blood pool imaging in addition to planar and SPET bone scintigraphy. The diagnostic benefit of these imaging studies was tabulated and compared. In addition, a retrospective chart review of the patients with renal and other soft tissue abnormalities identified by a flow study and blood pool imaging was undertaken with a view to documenting any changes in treatment planning over the 6 months following the nuclear medicine studies. Of the lumbosacral spine abnormalities, 44.1% were seen equally well on planar and SPET images, 24.0% better on SPET, 31.4% only seen on SPET, and 0.4% only seen on planar imaging. The distribution of abnormalities identified on SPET images in the lumbar spine was divided between vertebral bodies (36.1%), lamina or pedicles (which included frequent sites of increased uptake in the articular facets and pars interarticularis) (53.8%), spinous processes (8.7%) and transverse processes (1.3%). For the flow study and blood pool imaging, there was a 16.7% rate of positive studies. However, there were no documented changes in treatment planning because of these positive findings. In conclusion, when used to examine adult patients with chronic LBP, SPET detects significantly more scintigraphic abnormalities than planar imaging. The addition of a flow study and blood pool imaging as part of these LBP examinations results in a significant benefit. However, the clinical utility of such flow study and blood pool imaging studies cannot be confirmed.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Are childhood adversities relevant in patients with chronic low back pain?

Previous studies have found a high number of childhood adversities in patients with chronic low back pain, particularly in patients reporting persisting problems after back surgery. Our aim was to reproduce these results. Within the framework of a comprehensive diagnostic assessment and psychometric evaluation, 109 inpatients who had been treated for low back pain were examined in the orthopedics department of a German university hospital. Five risk factors investigated by Schofferman and his staff (Schofferman et al., 1993) were re-assessed in all of our patients using a structured biographical interview. The German chronic low back pain group was also compared with an age- and gender-matched control group of 109 non-chronic pain patients with respect to these childhood adversities and additional ones. Only approximately 11% of the German chronic low back pain sample demonstrated three or more risk factors, compared with more than 50% in Schofferman's sample, and 47.7% showed none of the five risk factors, compared to only 11% in the Schofferman sample. Moreover, no significant differences in distribution either in terms of the individual risk factors or their cumulative frequency were found in the German chronic low back pain group compared with an age and gender-matched control group without chronic pain. Childhood adversities do not occur frequently in a non-selected group of patients with chronic low back pain. Earlier results showing an increased likelihood of the occurrence of psychosocial risk factors could not be confirmed. As a consequence, further psychic or psychosomatic diagnostics of patients with chronic low back pain are needed to define diagnostic subgroups.

Absenteeism↗
PubMed2005

Early patterns of care for occupational back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis. OBJECTIVES: To describe the early health care utilization for occupational back pain. To identify factors associated with health care seeking and provider choice among persons with occupational back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Back pain is the most prevalent work-related injury, yet little is known about patterns of care for occupational back pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample includes 1104 workers with incident episodes of low back pain. Outcomes measures include whether or not workers received care and the types of providers seen. Predictors of outcomes include demographics, injury severity, history of back pain, occupation, and employer. RESULTS: Eight percent of workers did not receive care in the first 4 to 16 weeks after filing a workers' compensation claim. Injury severity, gender, occupation, and employer were significant predictors of the decision to seek care. Almost 90% of workers who received care were treated by medical physicians, often in combination with physical therapists or chiropractors. Age, occupation, injury severity, and whether the employer or worker chose the initial health care provider were associated with the choice of provider. Employers selected providers for 78% of injured workers who received care. Medical physicians were the providers most often chosen by both employers and workers, but workers were more likely than employers to select chiropractors. CONCLUSIONS: A small but significant number of injured workers do not seek care for their back pain. Medical physicians treat all but a small fraction of the workers who receive care. The decision to seek care and the choice of providers is associated with injury severity, occupation, and employer actions.

Adult↗