Risk factors for chronization of low back pain syndrome

Abstract

Low back pain is a leading cause of disability. Acute and chronic back pain affects 90% of the population.Objectives — to analyze the risk factors for chronic low back pain.Material and methods. A prospective study of nonspecific low back pain of 50 patients was carried out in the neurological department of the Emergency Clinic in Ufa. The exclusion criteria were discogenic compression radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, oncological pathology. By gender, men predominated. The average age of the patients was 48.44 ± 15.1 years. All patients underwent clinical neurological, neuropsychological and laboratory-instrumental studies. To study the nature of the pain syndrome, assess the cognitive and emotional spheres, we used diagnostic questionnaires, including the questionnaire of risk and chronicity of pain the Keele STarT Back Screening Tool. Three months after the onset of pain syndrome, all patients were interviewed by telephone in order to identify cases of persistent back pain and analyze its causes, for which a group of patients with chronic pain syndrome was singled out.Results. 32% of patients had pain syndrome 3 months after inpatient treatment. The following risk factors for chronic pain syndrome were identified: high intensity of pain, its duration, neuropathic component, older age (p = 0.018), depression (p = 0.02), obesity (p = 0.024).Conclusion. Risk factors for chronic low back pain are diverse, predictors of its development after episodes of acute pain, and should be identified as early as the onset of pain syndrome.