Clinical findings in a population with back pain. Relation to one-year outcome and long-term sick leave.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether physical examination findings can be used in predicting recovery from back pain and new episodes of sick leave.


METHODS
One-year prospective study of a single cohort.


METHODS
Semi-rural Swedish county.


METHODS
A cross-section of a general population with back pain (207 women, 176 men) between 20 and 59 years of age.


METHODS
Cumulative incidence of sick leave due to back pain, cumulative incidence of sick leave due to back pain > 30 days, incidence of recovery from back pain.


RESULTS
For recovery from pain, the absence of tenderness in the trapezius muscle (OR 0.33; CI 0.1-0.5) was predictive. New sick leave was predicted by tenderness in the trapezius muscle (OR 2.67; CI 1.5-4.9), and had a tendency to be associated with a flattened lumbar lordosis and a restricted cervical range of motion. For long-term sick leave, the same findings and also observation of scoliosis (OR 3.44; CI 1.1-10.5) were predictive.


CONCLUSIONS
There are subgroups with back pain predisposed to development of more persistent symptoms and a higher risk for sick-listing.
Reigo
T
T
Linköping Spine Centre, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital, Sweden. tomas.reigo@lio.se
Tropp
H
H
Timpka
T
T
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001416:Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010808:Physical Examination; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D018582:Sick Leave; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome