Pain-related fear and functional recovery in sciatica: results from a 2-year observational study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between pain-related fear, pain disability, and self-perceived recovery among patients with sciatica and disk herniation followed up for 2 years.


METHODS
Pain-related fear was measured by the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) and the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire-Physical Activity (FABQ-PA) subscale. Disability was measured by the Maine-Seattle Back Questionnaire. At 2 years, patients reported their sciatica/back problem on a global change scale ranging from completely gone to much worse. No specific interventions regarding pain-related fear were provided.


RESULTS
Complete data were obtained for 372 patients. During follow-up, most patients improved. In those who at 2 years were fully recovered (n=66), pain-related fear decreased substantially. In those who did not improve (n=50), pain-related fear remained high. Baseline levels of pain-related fear did not differ significantly between those who were fully recovered and the rest of the cohort. In the total cohort, the correlation coefficients between the 0-2-year change in disability and the changes in the TSK and the FABQ-PA were 0.33 and 0.38, respectively. In the adjusted regression models, the 0-2-year change in pain-related disability explained 15% of the variance in the change in both questionnaires.


CONCLUSIONS
Pain-related fear decreased substantially in patients who recovered from sciatica and remained high in those who did not improve. Generally, the TSK and the FABQ-PA yielded similar results. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has assessed pain-related fear in patients who recover from sciatica.
Department of Rheumatology, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum.
A J
AJ
Haugen
Department of Rheumatology, Østfold Hospital Trust, Grålum.
L
L
Grøvle
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Division for Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital.
J I
JI
Brox
Department of General Practice, Institute of Health and Society, University of Oslo.
B
B
Natvig
FORMI (Communication Unit for Musculoskeletal Disorders), Division of Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
M
M
Grotle
fear-avoidance; kinesiophobia; recovery