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Yellow flag on prognostic factors for non-specific chronic low back pain patients subjected to mini-invasive treatment: a cohort study

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European Spine Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objectives

Research was conducted to study the efficacy of analgesic infiltration treatment in a well-selected population of patients with non-specific drug-resistant chronic low back pain. It studied the pain on a numeric rating scale and the physical and mental condition of patients using a short-form health survey-36, before and six months after invasive pain treatment.

Design

This is a prospective observational single center cohort study.

Setting

The study took place in the Multimodal Pain Therapy Unit of the IRCCS Institute of Neurological Sciences in Bologna, Italy.

Subjects

Four hundred and thirteen out of a total 538 patients admitted to the unit with non-specific drug-resistant chronic low back pain were enrolled in the study.

Method

Patients were enrolled with written consent between April 2017 and November 2018. The study assessed NRS, BDI and SF-36 scores before and six months after mini-invasive treatment.

Results

There is an inverse correlation between Mental Component Scale (MCS) and Physical component scale as measured by SF-36. Older patients in a worse physical condition but with a more positive outlook on their quality of life were more likely to improve after invasive treatment (p < 0.001). The BDI scale is more effective in the diagnosis of depression than MCS.

Conclusions

The prognostic value of MCS given to the patient before mini-invasive treatment could lead physicians to adopt a multimodal approach that includes consideration of the psychological features of pain and possibly antidepressant therapy.

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Abbreviations

GDP:

Gross domestic product

IASP:

International association for the study of pain

CLBP:

Chronic low back pain

STROBE:

Strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology

IRCCS:

Istituto di ricovero e cura a carattere scientifico

NRS:

Numeric rating scale

BDI:

Beck depression inventory

SF-36:

Short-form health survey

PCS:

Physical component scale

MCS:

Mental component scale

SD:

Standard deviation

BL:

Baseline

FU:

Follow-up

OR:

Odds ratio

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Prof Nick Dines for his support in revising the manuscript.

Funding

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Anesthesia and Intensive Care Unit, Bologna, Italy

    Monica Zackova & Raffaele Aspide

  2. Private Hospital Forlì, Anesthesia Unit, Forlì, Italy

    Anita Braghittoni

  3. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Epidemiology and Biostatistic Unit, Bologna, Italy

    Corrado Zenesini

  4. IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Neurosurgery Unit, Bologna, Italy

    Giorgio Palandri

Authors
  1. Monica Zackova
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  2. Raffaele Aspide
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  4. Corrado Zenesini
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  5. Giorgio Palandri
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Correspondence to Raffaele Aspide.

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Zackova, M., Aspide, R., Braghittoni, A. et al. Yellow flag on prognostic factors for non-specific chronic low back pain patients subjected to mini-invasive treatment: a cohort study. Eur Spine J 29, 1879–1886 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-020-06475-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-020-06475-8

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