Alcohol use self report in chronic back pain--relationships to psychosocial factors, function performance, and medication use.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol consumption is a known risk factor for spinal disability, but there is no data on the relationship between reported alcohol consumption and behaviours in persons who are disabled.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the interaction between reported alcohol consumption, physical performance, and medication use in this group. To determine psychosocial correlates of reported alcohol consumption in this group.


METHODS
A retrospective review 147 men and 136 women with more than 3 months disability who underwent a multidisciplinary physical, functional and psychosocial Spine Team Assessment. Questions about alcohol consumption were related to outcome measures.


RESULTS
None of the women reported more than 5 drinks/week. Ten men reported more than 12 drinks per week. These performed significantly better on the Progressive Isoinertial Lifting Evaluation (PILE) low lift and the Functional Assessment Screening Test (FAST) 5 minute twisting test, and trended towards better performance on all other tests (the PILE high lift, all 4 other FAST components, Sorenson trunk extension test, and bicycle ergometer submaximal stress test). They had less back pain disability (Quebec p = 0.061), but no difference in depression (CESD), pain (visual analog scale) or fear (Tampa). They used fewer Non-steroidal medications, but similar narcotic medications as the others. No significant differences in the SF-36 were noted.


CONCLUSIONS
This first assessment of the relationship of alcohol consumption with back pain disability suggests that women with chronic back pain disability seldom report heavy alcohol consumption. Men with back pain disability who consume large amounts of alcohol have less physical disability despite similar pain. Despite potential interactions, heavy drinkers with pain do not use fewer narcotic analgesics than light drinkers.
Booker
Ethan A
EA
Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor, 48108, USA.
Haig
Andrew J
AJ
Geisser
Michael E
ME
Yamakawa
Karen
K
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001416:Back Pain / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012647:Self-Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D000894:Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal