Prognostic Factors of Disabling Low Back Pain in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Risk of Poor Prognosis in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain : Can it be Predicted by Physical Tests and Screening Tools ? - An Observational Study

The aim of the present study is to quantify the relative contribution of variables obtained during a physical fitness evaluation and a short screening questionnaire in determining the short-term and long term risk of persistent disabling low back pain in patients with chronic low back pain. It has been hypothesized that patients with higher physical fitness will present a lower risk of persistent disabling low back pain and so, a lower score on the questionnaire.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Chronic Low Back Pain; Mechanical Low Back Pain

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 53

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Quebec
    • Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada, G9A 5H7
      • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 60 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

volunteer with chronic nonspecific low back pain will be recruited among the university's community, its outpatients' chiropractic clinic and through advertisements in the local newspaper. They will first be screened by clinicians at the outpatients' chiropractic clinic in order to assess for the various inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• adults between 18 and 60 years old
• nonspecific low back pain : pain located between the twelfth rib and the inferior gluteal fold for which no specific source of pain could be identified
• chronic low back pain : pain present for 12 weeks or more, and included both constant and recurrent patterns of pain
• able to read and understand French

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of surgery or major trauma to the spine
• Current use of medication known to impair physical effort and pain perception
• Lumbar scoliosis of more than 20°
• Collagenosis, severe osteoporosis
• Neuromuscular disease
• Malignant tumor
• Non-controlled hypertension
• Infection
• Radiculopathy
• Progressive neurologic defect
• Myelopathy
• Lumbar disc hernia
• Pregnancy
• Active lower body injury and/or severe and disabling pain limiting the capacity to undergo the evaluation.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
nonspecific chronic low back pain; Physical examination and follow-up assessment by questionnaires at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Disability level	Oswestry disability index	2 months
Disability level	Oswestry disability index	4 months
Disability level	Oswestry disability index	6 months
Disability level	Oswestry disability index	12 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain intensity in the past 2 months	101 points numerical rating scale	2 months
Fear of movement level	Tampa scale for kinesiophobia	2 months
Patient's global impression of change from baseline	Patient's global impression of change scale	6 months
Patient's global impression of change from 6 months	Patient's global impression of change scale	12 months
Pain intensity in the past 2 months	101 points numerical rating scale	4 months
Pain intensity in the past 2 months	101 points numerical rating scale	6 months
Pain intensity in the past 6 months	101 points numerical rating scale	12 months
Pain intensity in the past week	101 points numerical rating scale	12 months
Fear of movement level	Tampa scale for kinesiophobia	4 months
Fear of movement level	Tampa scale for kinesiophobia	6 months
Fear of movement level	Tampa scale for kinesiophobia	12 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
• Collaborators: Fonds de la Recherche en Santé du Québec; Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Martin Descarreaux, PhD, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Page I, Abboud J, O Shaughnessy J, Laurencelle L, Descarreaux M. Chronic low back pain clinical outcomes present higher associations with the STarT Back Screening Tool than with physiologic measures: a 12-month cohort study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2015 Aug 19;16:201. doi: 10.1186/s12891-015-0669-0.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: October 1, 2011
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): September 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 12, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 25, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): August 27, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): May 27, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 26, 2015
• Last Verified: May 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: chronic low back pain; prognostic factors; disabling low back pain; lumbar muscle activity; start back screening tool; physical evaluation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Back Pain; Low Back Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: UQTR-2011-PFAC