Table 5.

Baseline characteristics of eligible subjects related to low back pain

Variable	FD			ATEP			P valuea
	Number of subjects	Mean or percent	SE	Number of subjects	Mean or percent	SE
Onset
Sudden	38	30.89		34	30.36		0.93
Gradual	85	69.11		78	69.64
Number of prior episodes
None (first episode)	29	23.58		17	15.18		0.13
One	10	8.13		4	3.57
Two or three	20	16.26		19	16.96
Four or more	64	52.03		72	64.29
Disability
On or applied for	0	0.00		4	0.04		0.05
Not on	112	100.00		102	0.96
Workers’ compensation
On or applied for	2	0.02		5	0.05		0.27
Not on	110	0.98		101	0.95
Unsettled litigation for low back pain
Yes	1	0.01		1	0.01		1.00
No	118	0.99		110	0.99
Radiculopathy
Yes	22	17.89		23	20.54		0.61
No	101	82.11		89	79.46
Zung depression score	123	43.34	0.81	112	45.06	0.89	0.15
VAS	123	38.00	2.01	112	35.70	1.96	0.42
Roland Morris	122	6.64	0.43	112	6.84	0.42	0.74
SF-36
Physical function	122	69.87	1.76	112	69.83	2.11	0.99
Role function, physical problems	120	45.83	3.44	112	50.00	3.68	0.41
Bodily pain	121	47.36	1.42	112	44.96	1.48	0.24
General health	120	70.71	1.71	111	69.87	1.84	0.74
Vitality/fatigue	122	51.38	1.83	111	48.60	2.02	0.31
Social functioning	122	77.46	1.87	112	74.22	2.47	0.29
Role function, emotional problems	120	75.00	3.31	112	71.13	3.62	0.43
Mental health	122	75.89	1.33	111	71.21	1.76	0.03
Physical component score	120	41.77	0.74	111	42.71	0.84	0.40
Mental component score	120	51.18	0.83	111	48.49	1.19	0.06

^aBased on t test or χ²