Table 2.

Percentage of patients who reported bothersome paresthesia or weakness at 2 years according to baseline characteristics

	Bothersome paresthesiaa	p	Bothersome weaknessa	p
Sex
Males	18.4	0.90	12.7	0.40
Females	17.9		9.9
Age
<50 years	14.2	<0.01	9.6	0.08
≥50 years	27.4		15.9
Education
<12 years	21.3	0.10	12.0	0.79
≥12 years	14.7		11.1
Smoking
No	15.1	0.07	11.1	0.69
Yes	22.4		12.4
Working full time
No	19.4	0.22	12.5	0.27
Yes	13.3		7.9
Duration back problems
<1 year	9.9	0.01	8.0	0.17
≥1 year	21.7		13.0
Previous sciatica episodes
No	16.1	0.33	8.9	0.15
Yes	20.0		13.7
Duration current sciatica episode
<3 months	16.4	0.42	13.4	0.35
≥3 months	19.6		10.2
Straight leg raising test
Normal	18.8	0.89	12.8	0.56
Abnormal	18.2		10.8
Sensibility
Normal	7.7	<0.01	7.1	0.02
Abnormal	25.9		15.0
Muscular paresis
No	12.1	<0.01	7.1	<0.01
Yes	26.2		17.2
Reflexes
Normal	17.4	0.70	10.8	0.68
Decreased	19.0		12.1
Back pain (0–6)
Score 0–3	12.9	<0.01	7.4	<0.01
Score 4–6a	26.4		17.9
Leg pain (0–6)
Score 0–3	19.1	0.81	12.4	0.79
Score 4–6a	18.0		11.3
Paresthesia (0–6)
Score 0–3	11.6	<0.01	8.3	0.10
Score 4–6a	24.3		13.8
Weakness (0–6)
Score 0–3	13.0	<0.01	6.5	<0.01
Score 4–6a	28.2		21.0
Emotional distressb (0–4)
<1.75	17.3	0.41	10.3	0.21
≥1.75	21.0		15.0
Fear of movement/reinjury (13–52)
<Median (27)	15.5	0.16	11.6	0.98
>Median (27)	21.2		11.7
Subjective health complaints (0–27)
<Median (7)	13.6	0.03	9.7	0.30
>Median (7)	22.2		13.1
General health (0–100)c
<Median (72)	21.2	0.18	12.1	0.75
>Median (72)	15.8		11.1
Physical functioning (0–100)c
<Median (50)	23.4	0.02	15.8	0.02
>Median (50)	14.1		8.2

^aScore 4–6 on the Sciatica Bothersomeness Index (0–6)

^bHopkins Symptom Check List-25

^cHigher score indicates better health