Risk factors of chronicity in lumbar disc patients. A prospective investigation of biologic, psychologic, and social predictors of therapy outcome.

Study Design: The current prospective longitudinal study examined the predictive value of psychological, somatic and social variables for the prediction of the short- and long-term follow-up in 111 consecutively selected patients with acute radicular pain and a lumbar disc prolapse or protrusion.

Objectives: The criteria for the therapy outcome were the intensity of persistent pain at the time of the discharge from the hospital and 6 months later and the application for early retirement at the 6 month follow-up.

Methods: As for the psychological predictors, we examined depression (Beck Depression Inventory BDI), daily hassles (Kiel Interview of the Subjective Situation KISS), pain coping strategies (Kiel Pain Inventory KSI), and Health locus of control (GKU).

[Chronic pain factor in patients with lumbar disc herniation.].

Using a biopsychosocial model of chronic radicular pain, we conducted a prospective study on the predictability of the therapy outcome in 41 lumbar disc patients from the Department of Neurology, University of Kiel. Before therapy, all patients had an extensive neurological and psychological examination. The criteria for the therapy outcome werepersistent pain and theduration of hospital stay in days.