Table 1.
Definitions of recurrent LBP, separated by definition feature, for the 27 studies giving explicit definitions of recurrent LBP
| Studies | Previous LBP | Duration | Severity | Pain course | Recovery | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of episodes | Frequency | |||||
| Patient population of recurrent LBP (inclusion criteria) | ||||||
| Bruce [22] | At least one over the last year | LBP resulting in an outpatient visit | ||||
| Cairns [13] | At least one | LBP resulting in alteration in normal activities or care seeking | ||||
| Feuerstein [27] | Pain twice weekly | Minimum of 6 months | ||||
| Harkapaa [29] | At least 2 years | LBP affecting physical capacity to work and resulting in sick leave | ||||
| Jones [14] | Regular LBP involving repeated acute bouts | |||||
| Jones [15] | Repeated acute episodes of LBP experienced as multiple spells | |||||
| Koumantakis [16] | Repeated pain episodes in last year | <6 months in total | ||||
| Koumantakis [17] | Repeated pain episodes in last year | <6 months in total | ||||
| Linton [35] | ≥4 pain episodes over the past year | |||||
| Little [18] | LBP at least once (>3 months previously) | Current LBP ≥3 weeks | LBP resulting in presentation to primary care | |||
| McGorry [37] | Repeated pain episodes over 6 months | <½ of reporting days | ||||
| Müller [41] | Sick leave due to recurrent LBP | |||||
| Nyiendo [42] | Discreet episode of LBP | ≥6 weeks with no LBP | ||||
| Roelofs [19] | ≥2 episodes of LBP symptoms in the past 12 months | ≥2 consecutive days of LBP | ||||
| Stig [46] | >4 weeks of pain in past years with ≥2 weeks of pain currently | |||||
| Symmons [47] | Current LBP with history of previous episodes of LBP | |||||
| Triano [49] | ≤6 episodes of LBP over the past years prior to present episode | 4–6 weeks free of LBP prior to current episode | ||||
| Tsao [50] | LBP >3 months | |||||
| Prevalence of people with recurrent LBP | ||||||
| Burton [24] | 1–6 spells over previous 3 years | |||||
| Hestbaek [30] | >30 days LBP in past year | |||||
| Kääriä [31] | Pain at baseline and f/u | |||||
| Mikkelsson [39] | At least 10 times | |||||
| Moseley [40] | >4 episodes in the last 2 years | |||||
| Raspe [43] | Pain at baseline and f/u | |||||
| Stanford [45] | Pain frequency reported as: about once per month, weekly, more than once per week, on most days | |||||
| Van den Heuvel [51] | 4-point scale (seldom/never, sometimes, regular, prolonged) | Regular/prolonged LBP at two consecutive interviews | ||||
| Yip [54] | LBP for at least 1 day | Pain at baseline and f/u | ||||
f/u Follow-up