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. 2021 Jan 20;16(1):e0245689. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245689

Table 1. Preliminary effect outcome measures.

Domain Specific items Outcome measures (T2 and T3)
Nociceptive pain drivers Pain and impact of pain on physical function Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) is designed to assess pain severity (at its worst, least and average) and the extent to which pain interferes in the daily life in relation to 7 domains of functioning (general activity, mood, walking ability, normal work, relations, sleep and enjoyment of life) on a scale of 0 to 10 [23].
Nervous system dysfunction (NSD) drivers Radicular signs/symptoms, hyperalgesia/allodynia, evidence of central sensitization The PainDetect Questionnaire [24] is a reliable screening tool to predict the likelihood of a neuropathic pain component. The total score indicates if the pain is less likely to be neuropathic (i.e., 0–12 nociceptive pain; 13–18 mixed pain; 19–38 most likely neuropathic pain)
The Central sensitization Inventory (CSI) consists of a self-reported tool to assess symptoms of central sensitization (CS) [25, 26]. It contains two sections, part A and B. Part A contains 25 items with 5-point Likert scale with a range for the total score from 0 to 100 and is intended to give an overview of the symptoms that are common in CS. Part B was not used as an outcome measure since it only identifies if the patient has been diagnosed with specific disorders associated with CS.
Cognitive-emotional drivers False beliefs, fear of pain/movement, self-efficacy, mood The STarT Back Tool (SBT) is a screening questionnaire consisting of 9 items based on psychosocial factors used to categorize patients with LBP based on risk (low, medium, or high) for poor disability outcomes [27]. Overall scores (ranging from 0 to 9) are determined by summing all responses, and the SBT psychosocial subscale (items 5–9; ranging from 0 to 5) are determined by summing all items related to psychosocial factors of prolonged disability such as catastrophizing and pain-related fear and anxiety [27].
Contextual drivers Job flexibility, absenteeism, work capacity The Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire Short-form (OMPSQ-SF) is a 10-item screening questionnaire used to determine the risk of long-term absenteeism from work due to LBP based on occupational and social factors [28].
Other outcomes Sleep disturbances “Sleep disturbances” were deemed “present” if the patient answered “often or always” to item 1 of the CSI (“I feel tired and unrefreshed when I wake from sleeping”) and/or score ≥4 on item 13 of the BPI (“during the past 24 hours, pain has interfered with your sleep”).
Mood, depressive symptoms “Depressive symptoms” were deemed “present” if the patient answered “sometimes, often or always” to item 16 of the CSI (“I feel sad or depressed”) and/or score >5 on item 6 of the OMSPQ-SF (“how much have been bothered by feeling depressed in the past week?”)