Spine
-
An unselected sample of outpatient subjects (n = 330) with localized nonspecific low back pain (LBP) was studied. Investigation consisted of clinical assessment, physical examination, and psychiatric interview based on the DSM-III classification. A psychiatric disorder, according to the DSM-III criteria (axis I) was found in 41% of the subjects. ⋯ Cluster analysis provided support for a four-group classification of low back pain, which may be interpreted through the relationships between psychological disturbances and the LBP clinical features. The results call for further investigation of the complex relationship between psychological disturbances and back pain. However, clinicians must be aware of the interest of a minimal psychiatric assessment in low back pain patients: psychiatric disorders frequently appear in these patients and an appropriate treatment of the psychiatric syndrome may reduce back pain.
-
Most patients with chronic low back pain associate strenuous physical activities with increased pain. This association can cause avoidance of those activities believed to cause intolerable discomfort. This study explored the relationship of performance of physical activities with self-reported pain measures in 40 consecutive patients with disabling low back pain (mean duration 17 months) during a functional restoration rehabilitation program (mean treatment period 7 weeks). ⋯ At completion of treatment, significant improvement in performance on all physical tests was found, but these were not associated with consistent changes in pain measures. These results demonstrate that subjects with chronic low back pain can increase their physical performance abilities within their same pain experiences. Medical recommendations for subjects' involvement in physical activities should not be based solely on the reported association of pain with those activities.