Clinical evaluation versus magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with radicular arm pain-A pragmatic study.

Objectives: Cervical nerve root compression can lead to radiculopathy in the arm. Some studies have reported low accuracy in determining the responsible nerve root in both cervical and lumbar regions. This prospective, observational, pragmatic study aimed to determine the accuracy of the clinical evaluation relative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with arm radiculopathy.

Low back pain scores correlate with the cytokine mRNA level in lumbar disc biopsies: a study of inflammatory markers in patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion.

Purpose: The molecular mechanism behind pain in degenerative disc disease (DDD) and chronic low back pain (LBP) patients is largely unknown. This present study examines the association of LBP and disability to mediators of the inflammatory cascade, as indexed by mRNA gene expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine markers in the intervertebral disc (IVD).

Methods: Biopsies of the annulus fibrosus (AF) and the nucleus pulposes (NP) from patients with DDD undergoing 1-2 level fusion surgery at L4/L5 or L5/S1 were obtained from total of 34 patients [9 M, 25 F] with average age of 53 [32-63].

The Association of MRI Findings and Long-Term Disability in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

Study Design: Longitudinal cohort study with 13-year follow-up.

Objective: To assess whether long-term disability is associated with baseline degenerative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with low back pain (LBP).

Methods: In 2004-2005, patients aged 18 to 60 years with chronic LBP were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial and lumbar MRI was performed.

Are Modic Changes Associated With Health-related Quality of Life After Discectomy: A Study on 620 Patients With Two-year Follow-up.

Study Design: A registry-based comparative cohort study with 2-year follow-up.

Objective: To assess whether Modic changes (MCs) are associated with health-related quality of life, long-term physical disability, back- or leg pain after discectomy.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies have failed to show a clinically significant association between MCs and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after discectomy.

Exercise treatment effect modifiers in persistent low back pain: an individual participant data meta-analysis of 3514 participants from 27 randomised controlled trials.

Background: Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Exercise therapy is widely recommended to treat persistent non-specific low back pain. While evidence suggests exercise is, on average, moderately effective, there remains uncertainty about which individuals might benefit the most from exercise.

Modic Changes Are Not Associated With Long-term Pain and Disability: A Cohort Study With 13-year Follow-up.

Study Design: A comparative cohort study with 13-year follow-up.

Objective: To assess whether Modic changes (MCs) are associated with long-term physical disability, back pain, and sick leave.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies have shown a conflicting association of low back pain (LBP) with MCs and disc degeneration.

Precollision Medical Diagnoses Predict Chronic Neck Pain Following Acute Whiplash Trauma.

Objectives: The reason why some individuals develop chronic symptoms, whiplash-associated disorder, following whiplash trauma is poorly understood. We explored whether precollision pain-related diagnoses, medically unexplained symptoms, and psychiatric diagnoses are related to whiplash-associated disorder.

Materials And Methods: A cohort of 719 individuals exposed to whiplash trauma and subsequently experiencing symptoms within 72 hours (whiplash-exposed cohort) and 3595 matched controls were included in this observational prospective study.

System influences on work disability due to low back pain: An international evidence synthesis.

Work disability due to low back pain is a significant global health concern. Current policy and practice aimed at tackling this problem is largely informed by the biopsychosocial model. Resultant interventions have demonstrated some small-scale success, but they have not created a widespread decrease in work disability.

Can group-based reassuring information alter low back pain behavior? A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is common in the population and multifactorial in nature, often involving negative consequences. Reassuring information to improve coping is recommended for reducing the negative consequences of LBP. Adding a simple non-threatening explanation for the pain (temporary muscular dysfunction) has been successful at altering beliefs and behavior when delivered with other intervention elements.

Individual courses of low back pain in adult Danes: a cohort study with 4-year and 8-year follow-up.

Background: Few longitudinal studies have described the variation in LBP and its impact over time at an individual level. The aims of this study were to: 1) determine the prevalence of LBP in three surveys over a 9-year period in the Danish general population, using five different definitions of LBP, 2) study their individual long-term courses, and 3) determine the odds of reporting subsequent LBP when having reported previous LBP.

Methods: A cohort of 625 men and women aged 40 was sampled from the general population.

Does elite swimming accelerate lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration and increase low back pain? A cross-sectional comparison.

Purpose: The aim was to elucidate elite swimming's possible influence on lumbar disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP).

Methods: Lumbar spine MRI was performed on a group of elite swimmers and compared to a matched Finnish population-based no-sport group.

Results: One hundred elite swimmers and 96 no-sport adults, mean age 18.

Whiplash(-like) injury diagnoses and co-morbidities--both before and after the injury: A national registry-based study.

Background: Previous studies suggest that a greater proportion of neck injury patients, whose injuries were sustained through whiplash accidents, become chronic due to a component of sickness-focusing. However, it is also possible that some of those with neck injuries were already more frail prior to the injury, resulting in more consequences from a certain intensity of injury. The objective of this study was to compare co-morbidity and mortality in people with a registered neck injury diagnosis, evaluated prior to and after the neck injury, to people without a registered neck injury evaluated at the same time-points.

[Mechanism of low-back pain with focus on Modic changes].

Low-back pain (LBP) pathology and pain have previously been connected with physical strain. The coping was therefore characterized by ''be careful!'' messages. In the 1990s it was shown that these physical loads virtually did not mean anything regarding disc degeneration, although loads may create LBP episodes.

Effect of Lumbar Disc Degeneration and Low-Back Pain on the Lumbar Lordosis in Supine and Standing: A Cross-Sectional MRI Study.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: To examine the influence of low-back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) on the lumbar lordosis in weight-bearing positional magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI).

Summary Of Background Data: The lumbar lordosis increases with a change of position from supine to standing and is known as an essential contributor to dynamic changes.

The experience of patients with fear-avoidance belief hospitalised for low back pain - a qualitative study.

Purpose: Severe pain, anxiety, depression, and fear-avoidance belief (FAB) are widespread among patients hospitalised for acute low back pain (LBP). Research shows that these psychological factors impact negatively on rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate and develop an understanding of pain in patients with fear avoidance belief hospitalised for LBP.

What Challenges Manual Workers' Ability to Cope with Back Pain at Work, and What Influences Their Decision to Call in Sick?

Introduction: Although back pain (BP) is a very common cause for sickness absence, most people stay at work during BP episodes. Existing knowledge on the factors influencing the decision to stay at work despite pain is limited. The aim of this study was to explore challenges for coping with BP at work and decisive factors for work attendance among workers with high physical work demands.

Should patients walk from the postanesthesia care unit to the general ward after a lumbar discectomy? A randomized study.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether it was feasible and safe to mobilize patients shortly after lumbar disc surgery with the objective of reducing postoperative complications and allowing shorter hospitalization.

Design: Randomized controlled study.

Method: The patients were randomized into two groups, intervention and control groups.

Do X-ray-occult fractures play a role in chronic pain following a whiplash injury?

Purpose: Whiplash trauma in motor vehicle accidents (MVA) may involve various painful soft tissue damages, but weeks/months later a minority of victims still suffers from various long-lasting and disabling symptoms, whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). The etiology is currently unknown, but X-ray-occult fractures may be one cause in some cases. The purpose of this prospective study was to examine the association between occult fractures, as seen on bone single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), with neck-, head- and arm pain.

External pneumatic compression device prevents fainting in standing weight-bearing MRI: a cohort study.

Objective: To investigate if a peristaltic external pneumatic compression device attached to the legs, while scanning, can reduce a substantial risk of fainting in standing weight-bearing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials And Methods: This study comprised all patients with low back pain referred to standing MRI of the lumbar spine, using a 0.25-T open G-Scanner, from June 2011 to April 2012.

A new stratified risk assessment tool for whiplash injuries developed from a prospective observational study.

Objectives: An initial stratification of acute whiplash patients into seven risk-strata in relation to 1-year work disability as primary outcome is presented.

Design: The design was an observational prospective study of risk factors embedded in a randomised controlled study.

Setting: Acute whiplash patients from units, general practitioners in four Danish counties were referred to two research centres.

Health, social, and economic consequences of neck injuries: a controlled national study evaluating societal effects on patients and their partners.

Study Design: National register-based matched case-control study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the direct and indirect costs of neck injuries, except fractures, in a national sample of patients and their spouses.

Summary Of Background Data: Despite neck injuries causing significant socioeconomic burdens, there is insufficient information about the time course, as well as the effect on their spouses.

Lumbar modic changes-a comparison between findings at low- and high-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Study Design: A cross-sectional observational study.

Objective: To investigate whether there is a difference in findings of lumbar Modic changes in low-field (0.3 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with high-field (1.

[Spinal manipulation for chronic low back pain--a survey of a chronic review].

A new Cochrane review based on 26 studies - 18 new since the last Cochrane review from 2003 - on spinal manipulation for chronic low back pain has been published by Rubinstein et al. Generally, manipulation for these patients was not clinically relevant better than other treatments like e.g.

The risk assessment score in acute whiplash injury predicts outcome and reflects biopsychosocial factors.

Study Design: One-year prospective study of 141 acute whiplash patients (WLP) and 40 acute ankle-injured controls.

Objective: This study investigates a priori determined potential risk factors to develop a risk assessment tool, for which the expediency was examined.

Summary Of Background Data: The whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) grading system that emerged from The Quebec Task-Force-on-Whiplash has been of limited value for predicting work-related recovery and for explaining biopsychosocial disability after whiplash and new predictive factors, for example, risk criteria that comprehensively differentiate acute WLP in a biopsychosocial manner are needed.