Does pain duration and other variables measured at baseline predict re-referral of low back pain patients managed on an evidence-based pathway? A cohort study.

Objective: To explore the association between baseline pain duration and the likelihood of re-referral of patients with low back pain (LBP) managed on the evidence-based North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP).

Study Design: Longitudinal, observational cohort study.

Methods: In all, 12,509 adults with LBP were identified as having been discharged from the pathway, between May 2015 and December 2019.

Does Duration of Pain at Baseline Influence Longer-term Clinical Outcomes of Low Back Pain Patients Managed on an Evidence-Based Pathway?

Study Design: Nonrandomized longitudinal observational study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between baseline pain duration and medium-to-long term clinical outcomes, in low back pain (LBP) patients enrolled on the North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP).

Summary Of Background Data: The NERBPP is based upon National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines.

Does Duration of Pain at Baseline Influence Clinical Outcomes of Low Back Pain Patients Managed on an Evidence-based Pathway?

Study Design: Longitudinal observational study.

Objective: To investigate the association between the duration of pain at baseline and the clinical outcomes of patients with low back pain (LBP) enrolled on the North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP).

Summary Of Background Data: The NERBPP is a clinical pathway based upon National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines (2009) for LBP of <1-year duration.

Do L5 and s1 nerve root compressions produce radicular pain in a dermatomal pattern?

Study Design: Observational case series.

Objective: To compare the pattern of distribution of radicular pain with published dermatome charts.

Summary Of Background Data: Dermatomal charts vary and previous studies have demonstrated significant individual subject variation.

Reliability of clinical assessment in diagnosing cauda equina syndrome.

Cauda equina syndrome (CES) is a neurological syndrome presenting with non-specific symptoms and signs that often leads to diagnostic confusion and delay. Acute onset CES is a surgical emergency. The common aetiology is a prolapsed lumbar disc.

EMG analysis of lumbar paraspinal muscles as a predictor of the risk of low-back pain.

Studies of EMG power spectra have established associations between low-back pain (LBP) and median frequency (MF). This 2-year prospective study investigates the association of LBP with EMG variables over time. 120 health care workers underwent paraspinal EMG measurements and assessment of back pain disability.

Short-term prospective memory deficits in chronic back pain patients.

Objective: Chronic pain, particularly low back pain, is widespread. Although a great deal is known about the impact that this has on quality of life and physical activity, relatively little has been established regarding the more cognitive effects of pain. This study aims to find out whether individuals with chronic pain experience memory deficits in prospective memory (PM), the process of remembering to do things at some future point in time.

Outcome assessment: recommendations for daily practice.

The choice of instruments for the assessment of outcome in spinal surgery is bewildering. For day-to-day practice, however, consideration of the purpose for which information is required allows construction of simple strategies for data collection. Recommendations are made for short and convenient data sets for use in personal audit, clinical governance, benchmarking, patient selection and business planning.

Back related outcome assessment instruments.

A literature review of the most widely used condition specific, self administered assessment questionnaires for low back pain had been undertaken. General and historic aspects, reliability, responsiveness and minimum clinically important difference, external validity, floor and ceiling effects, and available languages were analysed. These criteria, however, are only part of the consideration.

The value of electromyography of the lumbar paraspinal muscles in discriminating between chronic-low-back-pain sufferers and normal subjects.

The authors studied the surface electromyographic (EMG) spectrum of the paraspinal muscles of 350 subjects. They were classified by their history as normal (n=175), chronic low back pain (n=145), or past history (n=30). They pulled upwards on a floor-mounted load cell at two-thirds of their maximum voluntary contraction for 30 s, while the EMG was measured from the paraspinal muscles at the L4/L5 level.

The reliability of the Low Back Outcome Score for back pain.

Study Design: A prospective test-retest study was conducted to investigate both new and follow-up patients with low back pain presenting to an orthopedic surgeon specializing in back pain.

Objectives: To further validate the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Low Back Outcome Score, and to compare these results with other condition-specific disability scales.

Summary Of Background Data: To be useful in clinical practice, health-specific questionnaires must demonstrate reliability and validity.