Pain profiles and psychosocial distress symptoms in workers with low back pain.

PURPOSE

The current study investigated the pain profiles of patients with subacute non-specific low back pain attending an outpatient return-to-work rehabilitation programme. Differences in symptoms of distress (depression and anxiety) and return to work between the pain-profile groups were assessed.

METHODS

Sixty-five volunteers who met the eligibility criteria and had complete follow-up data were included in the analysis. The mean age was 38.8 years (minimum 18, maximum 64); 38 (58.5%) were men. The median time since onset of low back pain was 30 days. Cluster analysis was used to categorize patients into groups according to pain severity scores (VAS).

RESULTS

Two distinct clusters-severe pain and moderate pain-emerged. There were significant differences in depressive and anxiety symptoms between the pain profiles. Further, return-to-work rates varied significantly between the two groups (31% in the severe pain cluster compared to 90% in the moderate pain cluster).

CONCLUSION

Although both groups showed significant improvements in depression and anxiety symptoms over time, the severe pain cluster scored higher at discharge (higher scores indicating worse outcomes). These results highlight the importance of early identification of sub-groups at risk so that rehabilitation interventions can be focused with the goal of minimizing long-term disability.