Frequency of sleep disturbance with chronic low back pain: a cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the frequency of sleep disturbance among individual with chronic low back pain, and to explore the association between the two.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March, 2017, at the Physiotherapy Department of the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, and comprised patients of either gender aged 18-40 years with at least a three-month history of chronic low back pain. . Data was collected using insomnia severity index for sleep disturbance and Rolland Morris questionnaire for disability due to chronic low back pain. Data was analysed using SPSS 21.

RESULTS

Of the 110, patients 68(62%) were males. The overall mean age of the sample was 31.79±6.18 years. Mean functional disability score was 13.66+2.44, while 84(76.4%) had sleep disorder; 78(70.9%) having sub-threshold insomnia, and 6(5.5%) with clinical insomnia of moderate severity. There was a positive intermediate correlation between sleep disorder and functional disability (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Frequency of sleep disturbance was high in patients with chronic low back pain. There was an intermediate positive correlation between the two.