A 12-year follow-up of subjects initially sicklisted with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses.
OBJECTIVE
Neck/shoulder and low back pain are common in the Western world and can cause great personal and economic consequences, but so far there are few long term follow-up studies of the consequences of back pain, especially studies that separate the location of back pain. More knowledge is needed about different patterns of risk factors and prognoses for neck/shoulder and low back pain, respectively, and they should not be treated as similar conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible long-term differences in neck/shoulder and low back symptoms, experienced over a 12-year period, with regard to work status, present health, discomfort and influence on daily activities.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort study of individuals sicklisted with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses 12 years ago was undertaken. Included were all 213 people who, in 1985, lived in the municipality of Linköping, Sweden, were aged 25-34 years and who had taken at least one new period of sickleave lasting > 28 days with a neck/shoulder or low back diagnosis. In 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to the 204 people who were still resident in Sweden (response rate 73%).


RESULTS
Those initially absent with neck/shoulder diagnoses rated their present state of discomfort as worse than those sicklisted with low back diagnoses. Only 4% of the neck/shoulder group reported no present discomfort compared with 25% of the low back group. Notably, both groups reported the same duration of low back discomfort during the last year, which may indicate a higher risk for symptoms in more than one location for subjects with neck/shoulder problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Individuals with sickness absence of more than 28 days with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses appear to be at high risk of developing long-standing symptoms significantly more so for those initially having neck/shoulder diagnoses.
Kjellman
G
G
Department of Neuroscience and Locomotion, Linköping University, Sweden.
Oberg
B
B
Hensing
G
G
Alexanderson
K
K
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018582:Sick Leave; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires