Does Duration of Pain at Baseline Influence Longer-term Clinical Outcomes of Low Back Pain Patients Managed on an Evidence-Based Pathway?

• Published in: Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976) Pa. 1976), 2021-02, Vol.46 (3), p.191-197
• Main Authors: Jess, Mary-Anne, Ryan, Cormac, Hamilton, Sharon, Wellburn, Shaun, Atkinson, Greg, Greenough, Charles, Peat, Glynis, Coxon, Andrew, Fatoye, Francis, Ferguson, Diarmaid, Dickson, Alastair, Ridley, Helen, Martin, Denis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: England; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Low Back Pain - complications; Low Back Pain - epidemiology; Male; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Quality of Life; Surveys and Questionnaires; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0362-2436; 1528-1159
• DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0000000000003760

STUDY DESIGN.Non-randomised longitudinal observational study. OBJECTIVE.To evaluate the association between baseline pain duration and medium-to-long term clinical outcomes, in low back pain (LBP) patients enrolled on the North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA.The NERBPP is based upon National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines. These guidelines no longer differentiate management of LBP patients based on pain duration. Medium-to-long term data from the NERBPP is lacking. METHODS.Between May 2015 and December 2019, 786 and 552 LBP patients from the NERBPP returned 6-month and 12-month follow-up outcome measures, respectively. Outcomes included pain (Numerical rating scale), function (Oswestry Disability Index) and quality-of-life (EuroQol five-dimension, five-level questionnaire), analysed using a series of covariate-adjusted models. Patients were categorized into four groups based upon baseline pain duration