Relationship of Subjective Disability with Pain Intensity, Pain Duration, Pain Location, and Work-Related Factors in Nonoperated Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

OBJECTIVE:A cross-sectional study on patients with chronic low back pain to compare relationships between subjective disability and pain intensity, pain duration, pain location, and work-related factors. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS:One hundred and seven outpatients with low back pain, with or without radiation to the legs, of at least 3 months' duration, were administered a comprehensive back patient questionnaire. The questionnaire included the Pain Disability Index (PDI) for the assessment of overall perceived disability and assessments of pain intensity, duration, and location and two pretested short-form work questionnaires. None of the patients had undergone a back operation. SETTING:Tertiary care center. RESULTS:There was evidence of significant interrelationships between the PDI and pain intensity (low back pain, r = 0.53, p < 0.001; leg pain, r = 0.32, p < 0.01; and buttock pain, r = 0.36, p < 0.01), pain location (significantly higher scores with distal pain radiation), and work-related factors (a work load sum score of r = 0.31, p < 0.01; significantly higher scores in patients on sick leave). CONCLUSIONS:The results suggest that subjective disability in patients with chronic low back pain overlaps with both pain and work-related factors. The observations support the multidimensionality of low back disability.