Table 1.
Medically treated patients with chronic back pain
| Demographics and clinical variables | Subgroups | Chronic back pain (n=23), % (n) | Females, % (n) | Males, % (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of patients | 61 (14) | 39 (9) | ||
| Age | ≤45 years old | 35 (8) | 29 (4) | 44 (4) |
| >45 years old | 65 (15) | 71 (10) | 56 (5) | |
| Type of pain | Lumbar | 74 (17) | 71 (10) | 78 (7) |
| Cervical | 13 (3) | 14 (2) | 11 (1) | |
| Multiple typesa | 13 (3) | 14 (2) | 11 (1) | |
| Additional radiating painb | 70 (16) | 71 (10) | 67 (6) | |
| Origin of nociceptive pain | Discogenic | 61 (14) | 71 (10) | 44 (4) |
| Facetogenic | 22 (5) | 21 (3) | 22 (2) | |
| Osteochondrosis | 9 (2) | 7 (1) | 11 (1) | |
| Vertebrogenic | 4 (1) | (0) | 11 (1) | |
| Fracture | 4 (1) | (0) | 11 (1) | |
| Post-operation painc | 43 (10) | 50 (7) | 33 (3) | |
| Conservative therapy | Medication and/or physiotherapy | 100 (23) | 100 (14) | 100 (9) |
| NSAIDs | 52 (12) | 43 (6) | 67 (6) | |
| NSAIDs+other drugsd | 43 (10) | 57 (8) | 22 (2) | |
| Physiotherapy | 4 (1) | (0) | 11 (1) | |
| Pain history | 1–5 years | 43 (10) | 43 (6) | 44 (4) |
| 6–10 years | 30 (7) | 29 (4) | 33 (3) | |
| >10 years | 26 (6) | 29 (4) | 22 (2) | |
| Maximum pain intensity NPRS 0–10/10e | 7.7±1.7 | 7.2±2.3 | 7.9±1.4 |
Notes:
a
Multiple types: 2 or more type of pain–lumbar and/or cervical and/or thoracic.
b
There is local pain at the spine area, but additional unspecific radiation to extremities.
c
Post-operation pain: indicates chronic pain following spine surgery operation in the pain area.
d
Other drugs: antidepressants and/or muscle-relaxants. eAverage ± standard deviation.
Abbreviations: NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; NPRS, Numeric Pain Rating Scale.