Correlation between pain, disability, and quality of life in patients with common low back pain.
METHODS
Correlation among previously validated questionnaires.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the correlation between pain, disability, and quality of life in patients with low back pain.


BACKGROUND
The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Roland-Morris (RMQ), Oswestry (OQ), and EuroQol (EQ) Questionnaires are validated instruments to assess pain, low back pain-related disability, and quality of life.


METHODS
The study was done in the primary care setting, in Mallorca, with 195 patients who visited their physician for LBP. Individuals were given the VAS, RMQ, OQ, and EQ on their first visit and 14 days later.


RESULTS
Median duration of pain when entering the study was 10 days (P25,P75: 3, 40). On day 1, simple correlation was r = 0.347 between VAS and RMQ, r = -0.422 between VAS and EQ, and r = -0.442 between RMQ and EQ. On day 15, simple correlation was r = 0.570 between VAS and RMQ, r = -0.672 between VAS and EQ, and r = -0.637 between RMQ and EQ. Multiple linear regression models showed that, on day 1, the VAS score explains 12% of the RMQ score and the VAS and RMQ scores explain 27% of the EQ score. On day 15, the VAS score explains 33% of the RMQ score, and the VAS and RMQ scores explain 58% of the EQ score. On day 1, a 10% increase in VAS worsens disability by 3.3% and quality of life by 2.65%. On day 15, a 10% increase in VAS worsens disability by 4.99% and quality of life by 3.80%. Prestudy duration of pain had no influence on any model. All these correlation coefficients and models are significant at the P < 0.001 level. The OQ had lower correlation values with the other three scales, and only two of them were significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinically relevant improvements in pain may lead to almost unnoticeable changes in disability and quality of life. Therefore, these variables should be assessed separately when evaluating the effect of any form of treatment for low back pain. The influence of pain and disability on quality of life progresses while they last, and doubles in 14 days. In acute and subacute patients, this increase is not dependent on the previous duration of pain.
Kovacs
Francisco M
FM
Departamento Científico, Fundación Kovacs, Palma de Mallorca and Madrid, Spain. kovacs@kovacs.org
Abraira
Víctor
V
Zamora
Javier
J
Teresa Gil del Real
María
M
Llobera
Joan
J
Fernández
Carmen
C
Bauza
José Ramón
JR
Bauza
Kunibert
K
Coll
Josep
J
Cuadri
María
M
Duro
Elena
E
Gili
Juan
J
Gestoso
Mario
M
Gómez
Marina
M
González
Juana
J
Ibañez
Patricia
P
Jover
Antoni
A
Lázaro
Pablo
P
Llinás
Miguel
M
Mateu
Catalina
C
Mufraggi
Nicole
N
Muriel
Alfonso
A
Nicolau
Carmen
C
Olivera
María Arrate
MA
Pascual
Patricia
P
Perelló
Lourdes
L
Pozo
Francisco
F
Revuelta
Teresa
T
Reyes
Vicente
V
Ribot
Sebestián
S
Ripoll
Jaime
J
Ripoll
Juana
J
Rodríguez
Elena
E
D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires