Table 1.
Patient demographics
| Number of patients [n (%)] | 800 | (100.0) |
| Gender female [n (%)] | 456 | (57.0) |
| Ethnic origin: white/caucasian [n (%)] | 750 | (93.8) |
| Coloured african/american [n (%)] | 33 | (4.1) |
| Asian [n (%)] | 17 | (2.1) |
| Age [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 46.3±9.7 | (47.0; 19–77) |
| BMI [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 27.2±5.3 | (26.0; 17–73) |
| Pain duration [days; mean ± SD (median; range)] | 1002±692.3 | (911; 150–2580) |
| Patients with pain duration ≥1 year [n (%)] | 543 | (67.9) |
| Number of physicians involved [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 8.7±1.4 | (9; 3–13) |
| Previous pharmacological pain treatments [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 9.7±2.3 | (10; 4–17) |
| Patients with ≥10 pharmacological pretreatments [n (%)] | 408 | (51.0) |
| Pharmacological treatment with …nonopioidanalgesics [n (%)] | 798 | (99.8) |
| …mild opioids [n (%)] | 567 | (70.9) |
| …strong potent opioids [n (%)] | 695 | (86.9) |
| …antidepressants [n (%)] | 704 | (88.0) |
| …anticonvulsants [n (%)] | 525 | (65.6) |
| …muscle relaxants [n (%)] | 580 | (72.5) |
| …others [n (%)] | 622 | (77.8) |
| Previous non-pharmacological pain treatments [mean±SD (median; range)] | 6.0±1.3 | (6; 2–9) |
| Patients with ≥5 non-pharmacological pretreatments [n (%)] | 701 | (87.6) |
| Non-pharmacological treatment with …physiotherapy [n (%)] | 621 | (77.6) |
| …physical measures [n (%)] | 526 | (65.8) |
| …TENS [n (%)] | 635 | (79.4) |
| …acupuncture [n (%)] | 634 | (79.3) |
| …psychotherapy [n (%)] | 604 | (75.5) |
| …others [n (%)] | 645 | (80.6) |
| Concomittant diseases [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 3.6±1.9 | (3; 1–12) |
| Patients with ≥3 concomitant diseases [n (%)] | 537 | (67.1) |
| …allergies [n (%)] | 383 | (47.9) |
| …cardiovascular system [n (%)] | 352 | (44.0) |
| Musculoskeletal system [n (%)] | 298 | (37.3) |
| …mental/psychiatric problems [n (%)] | 281 | (35.1) |
| …pulmonary system [n (%)] | 217 | (27.1) |
| …cancer [n (%)] | 110 | (13.8) |
| …others [n (%)] | 703 | (87.9) |
| Pharmacological non-pain treatments [mean ± SD (median; range)] | 2.0±1.3 | (2; 0–7) |
| Patients with ≥2 pharmacological non-pain treatments [n (%)] | 498 | (62.3) |
| Primary condition undelying CP: (low) back pain [n (%)] | 234 | (29.3) |
| Failed back surgery syndrome [n (%)] | 148 | (18.5) |
| Shoulder/neck pain [n (%)] | 91 | (11.4) |
| Post-herpetic neuralgia [n (%)] | 72 | (9.0) |
| Peripheral (diabetic) neuropathy [n (%)] | 56 | (7.0) |
| Brachial plexus injury [n (%)] | 48 | (6.0) |
| Lumbar spinal stenosis [n (%)] | 38 | (4.8) |
| Cancer [n (%)] | 31 | (3.9) |
| Fibromyalgia [n (%)] | 26 | (3.3) |
| Peripheral/focal nerve lesions [n (%)] | 22 | (2.8) |
| Phantom pain [n (%)] | 19 | (2.4) |
| Osteoarthritis [n (%)] | 15 | (1.9) |
Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation; BMI, body mass index; TENS, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation; CP, chronic pain.