Pain, disability don't predict function in spinal stenosis

July 16, 2012 in Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Pain, disability don't predict function in spinal stenosis

For patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, subjective measures of pain and disability have limited ability to predict real-life ambulatory performance, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Spine.

(HealthDay) -- For patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), subjective measures of pain and disability have limited ability to predict real-life ambulatory performance, according to a study published in the July 1 issue of Spine.

Rob Pryce, of the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues conducted a cross-sectional study involving 33 patients with LSS to determine whether there is a relationship between performance measures and subjective reports of pain. Patient physical activity and ambulation were measured over a seven-day period using accelerometry. Pain, disability, and health were assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index; the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire; Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand; and the Short Form (SF-36).

The researchers found that the physical function subscale of the SF-36 had the best overall correlation with physical activity and ambulation, compared with pain and disability (average r = 0.53 versus 0.32 and −0.45, respectively). In four single-variable models for performance, pain was not selected as a predictor. In five of eight models, the non-pathology-specific outcome (Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand) improved prediction of performance.

"This study has established that self-reported disability has limited explanatory ability for performance measures such as total and bout duration of ambulatory behavior in LSS," the authors write. "Although strongly related to disability, the current pain intensity and perceived pain interference with function provided little to no added prediction of performance measures."

More information: Abstract
Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

not rated yet  

Rank not rated yet
Related Stories
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

Resistance to last-line antibiotic makes bacteria resistant to immune system

Bacteria resistant to the antibiotic colistin are also commonly resistant to antimicrobial substances made by the human body, according to a study in mBio, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microb ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 4 hours ago | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Report: NPS hantavirus response followed policy

(AP)—Federal investigators probing the hantavirus outbreak blamed for three deaths at Yosemite National Park recommend that design changes to tent cabins and other lodging run by private concessionaires first be reviewed ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New test better detects elephantiasis worm infection

A new diagnostic test for a worm infection that can lead to severe enlargement and deformities of the legs and genitals is far more sensitive than the currently used test, according to results of a field ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 10 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

SARS-like virus claims new life in Saudi

A Saudi man who had contracted the coronavirus has died, raising the death toll in the kingdom from the SARS-like virus to 16, the health ministry announced on Monday on its Internet website.

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 12 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Telerehabilitation allows accurate assessment of patients with low back pain

A new "telerehabilitation" approach lets physical therapists assess patients with low back pain (LBP) over the Internet, with good accuracy compared with face-to-face examinations, reports a study in the May 15 issue of Sp ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes created 12 hours ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Genetic predictors of postpartum depression uncovered

Johns Hopkins researchers say they have discovered specific chemical alterations in two genes that, when present during pregnancy, reliably predict whether a woman will develop postpartum depression.

Child maltreatment increases risk of adult obesity

Children who have suffered maltreatment are 36% more likely to be obese in adulthood compared to non-maltreated children, according to a new study by King's College London. The authors estimate that the prevention or effective ...

After a decade, global AIDS program looks ahead

(AP)—The decade-old law that transformed the battle against HIV and AIDS in developing countries is at a crossroads. The dream of future generations freed from the epidemic is running up against an era ...

New immune system discovered

(Medical Xpress)—A research team, led by Jeremy Barr, a biology post-doctoral fellow, unveils a new immune system that protects humans and animals from infection.

Early-life traffic-related air pollution exposure linked to hyperactivity

Early-life exposure to traffic-related air pollution was significantly associated with higher hyperactivity scores at age 7, according to new research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) and Cincinnati Children's Hospital ...

The compound in the Mediterranean diet that makes cancer cells 'mortal'

New research suggests that a compound abundant in the Mediterranean diet takes away cancer cells' "superpower" to escape death. By altering a very specific step in gene regulation, this compound essentially re-educates cancer ...