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 p ain to compare relationships between subjective disability and pain in tensity, pain duration, pain location, and work-related factors. Desig n 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 que stionnaire included the Pain Disability Index (PDT) for the assessment of overall perceived disability and assessments of pain intensity, du ration, and location and two pretested short-form work questionnaires. None of the patients had undergone a back operation. Setting: Tertiar y care center. Results: There was evidence of significant interrelatio nships 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 ra diation), and work-related factors (a work load sum score of r = 0.31, p < 0.01; significantly higher scores in patients on sick leave). Con clusions: The results suggest that subjective disability in patients w ith chronic low back pain overlaps with both pain and work-related fac tors. The observations support the multidimensionality of low back dis ability.