Emotional and disability status in patients with chronic low back pain

Abstract

Objective: to analyze the prevalence of psychological disorders (anxiety, depression, stress) and the relationship of these factors with functional disability in patients with chronic low back pain. Study design: cross-sectional descriptive and observational study. Setting: the physiotherapy outpatient clinic of the Northen University of Paraná, Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. Methods: 84 individuals were recruited, being 43 elderly (20 with low back pain and 23 control subjects) and 41 adults (21 with low back pain and 20 control subjects). In order to assess the psychological aspects, Beck Inventories of Depression and anxiety as well as Lipp Stress Inventory were used. To evaluate the funcionality, Roland Morris Questionnaire was chosen. The evaluation of the pressure pain threshold was performed using algometer emg systems®. To analyse was considered a significance level of 5% (p<0.05). Results: It was observed that people with low back pain have higher scores of depression, anxiety, stress and functional disability compared to the control group (p<0.05). Among adults, an inverse relationship between anxiety and disability (p<0.05) was observed. In subjects with low back pain positive correlation was observed between anxiety and functional disability and, between the depression and functional disability (p<0.05). In addition, no association was found between stress and functional disability in patients with low back pain (p<0.05). Conclusion: suggest that in patients with low back pain worsening of functionality is anxiety and stress and elderly people with low back pain has higher levels of stress, depression, anxiety and function disability.