TY - JOUR
T1 - Assessment of functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging in patients with low back pain and radiating leg pain
AU - Ren, Xinhua S.
AU - Selim, Alfredo J.
AU - Fincke, Graeme
AU - Deyo, Richard A.
AU - Linzer, Mark
AU - Lee, Austin
AU - Kazis, Lewis
N1 - Funding Information:
The study is supported by a grant (SDR No. 91-006.S) from Health Services Research and Development of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, and in part by a grant (HS 08194) from the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research. We thank our colleagues in the Veterans Health Study and two anonymous reviewers for their comments on the manuscript.
PY - 1999/11
Y1 - 1999/11
N2 - We analyzed data from outpatients with chronic low back pain (LBP) in the Veterans Health Study (n = 563) to examine the relationship between localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain in assessing patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging. Based on the localized LBP intensity, the study subjects were divided into tertiles (low, moderate, and high intensity). The study subjects were also stratified by the extent of radiating leg pain. Using analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis, we compared the relative importance of localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain in explaining the variability in the means of the SF-36 scales and low back disability days, and in the proportion of patients who had used diagnostic imaging. The results of the study indicate that measures of localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain contribute separately to the assessment of patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging. These results suggest that localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain may represent two different approaches in assessing back pain severity. Future epidemiological and health services research should consider both measures in assessing the impact of LBP on patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging.
AB - We analyzed data from outpatients with chronic low back pain (LBP) in the Veterans Health Study (n = 563) to examine the relationship between localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain in assessing patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging. Based on the localized LBP intensity, the study subjects were divided into tertiles (low, moderate, and high intensity). The study subjects were also stratified by the extent of radiating leg pain. Using analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis, we compared the relative importance of localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain in explaining the variability in the means of the SF-36 scales and low back disability days, and in the proportion of patients who had used diagnostic imaging. The results of the study indicate that measures of localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain contribute separately to the assessment of patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging. These results suggest that localized LBP intensity and radiating leg pain may represent two different approaches in assessing back pain severity. Future epidemiological and health services research should consider both measures in assessing the impact of LBP on patient functional status, low back disability, and use of diagnostic imaging.
KW - Functional status
KW - Localized low back pain
KW - Low back disability
KW - Radiating leg pain
KW - Use of diagnostic imaging
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U2 - 10.1016/S0895-4356(99)00094-3
DO - 10.1016/S0895-4356(99)00094-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 10527000
AN - SCOPUS:0032887298
SN - 0895-4356
VL - 52
SP - 1063
EP - 1071
JO - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
JF - Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
IS - 11
ER -