Articles: back-pain.
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Bmc Musculoskel Dis · Jan 2013
Randomized Controlled TrialImplementation of specific strength training among industrial laboratory technicians: long-term effects on back, neck and upper extremity pain.
Previous studies have shown positive effects of physical exercise at the workplace on musculoskeletal disorders. However, long-term adherence remains a challenge. The present study evaluates long-term adherence and effects of a workplace strength training intervention on back, neck and upper extremity pain among laboratory technicians. ⋯ Specific strength training at the workplace can lead to significant long-term reductions in spinal and upper extremity pain and DASH. The pain reductions achieved during the intensive training phase with supervision appears to be maintained a half year later.
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Previous studies have reported on the minimum clinically important difference (MCID), a threshold of improvement that is clinically relevant for lumbar degenerative disorders. Recent studies have shown that pre- and postoperative health-related quality of life (HRQOL) measures vary among patients with different diagnostic etiologies. There is also concern that a patient's previous care experience may affect his or her perception of clinical improvement. This study determined if MCID values for the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and back and leg pain are different between patients undergoing primary or revision lumbar fusion. ⋯ The MCID values were similar for the revision and primary lumbar fusion groups, even when subgroup analysis was done for different diagnostic etiologies, simplifying interpretation of clinical improvement. The results of this study further validate the use of patient-reported HRQOLs to measure clinical effectiveness, as a patient's previous experience with care does not seem to substantially alter an individual's perception of clinical improvement.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
painDETECT questionnaire and lumbar epidural steroid injection for chronic radiculopathy.
The painDETECT questionnaire (PD-Q) is a fast and uncomplicated way to ascertain the percentage of neuropathic pain in 'total pain' and is designed to detect neuropathic pain components in back pain. The purpose of this randomized, prospective study is to compare, with the assessment of the PD-Q, the efficacy of interlaminar (IL) and transforaminal (TF) steroid injections in patients with unilateral chronic lumbar radicular pain. ⋯ Steroids are efficient; besides alleviating the overall pain, they also reduce the neuropathic component in chronic lumbar radicular pain, whether it is distributed epidurally by the IL or TF approach.
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Back pain impacts on a significant proportion of the Australian population over the life course and has high prevalence rates among women, particularly in older age. Back pain care is characterised by multiple practitioner and self-prescribed treatment options, and the out-of-pocket costs associated with consultations and self-prescribed treatments have not been examined to date. ⋯ Multiple provider usage for various but distinct purposes (i.e. pain/mobility versus anxiety/stress) points to the need for further research into patient motivations and experiences of back pain care in order to improve and enhance access to and continuity of care. Our results suggest that the cost of back pain care represents a significant burden, and may ultimately limit women's access to multiple providers. We extrapolate that for Australian working-age women, total out-of-pocket expenditure on back pain care per annum is in excess of AU$1.4 billion, thus indicating the prominence of back pain as a major economic, social and health burden.
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The purpose of this study is to report on long-term treatment patterns in a back pain population and to consider whether these may be considered as reflective of under-treatment of pain or poor pain control. ⋯ Two features of this analysis stand out: (i) time since first diagnosis of pain for those currently experiencing severe or moderate back pain and (ii) the 'inertia' that appears to characterize long-term treatment decisions. Irrespective of current pain status, 70% or more of those experiencing current severe or moderate pain report no change from their initial treating physician or no change in prescription once referred to a pain specialist. This occurs over an extended time frame. Whether this should be interpreted as a failure in pain management is a moot point. The fact remains, however, that despite time since first diagnosis subjects not only currently experience severe or moderate pain but a substantial proportion may be expected to continue.