THE PAIN DRAWING AND WADDELL NONORGANIC PHYSICAL SIGNS IN CHRONIC LOW-BACK-PAIN

Pain drawings were obtained from a group of 651 patients who had chron ic low-back pain. Pain drawings were rated in four grades according to the degree of organic and nonorganic pain. Experienced and inexperien ced evaluators were used. The reliability was excellent with an intere valuator reliability between 73% and 78%. A correlation between pain d rawings and Waddell's nonorganic physical signs demonstrated that a la rge proportion of patients with high Waddell scores had nonorganic pai n drawings. No significant differences were noted in the distribution of Waddell scores and pain drawings based on patient gender or payment status (i.e., medicolegal or workers' compensation). Pain drawings af ford an important adjunct in the physician's assessment of chronic low -back pain.