Articles: back-pain.
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The Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ) was developed to assess the amount of chronic spinal pain that affects four aspects (daily and work-leisure activities, anxiety-depression, and social interest) of the patients' lives. Results of the DPQ's statistical properties suggest that the DPQ is an externally reliable instrument as well as internally consistent. Two factors emerged from factor structure analysis. ⋯ A t test demonstrated that chronic pain patients have significantly higher DPQ scores than normals. Because these findings support its statistical properties, the DPQ appears to have utility for clinical and research purposes. The findings, limitations, and implications of this study are detailed, as are suggestions for future research.
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The aim of this study was to conduct a component analysis of a group programme for chronic low back pain patients. Forty-five patients participated in the pain control course, consisting of education about pain and a training in self-hypnosis. A pain diary was used as a measure of pain intensity, up-time and use of pain medication. ⋯ On completion of the total treatment package, patients manifested statistically significant changes on all measures except reported pain intensity. It is suggested that the pain control course is a non-invasive, inexpensive means of treatment which could be of some value in teaching even more severely disabled low back pain patients to cope more adequately with their pain problem. For this group of patients, a better adjustment to continuing pain may prove to be a more realistic therapy goal than pain reduction.
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Orthopaedic nursing · May 1989
Perceived body space and self-esteem in adult males with and without chronic low back pain.
This comparative descriptive study investigated differences in perceived body space and self-esteem in adult males with and without chronic low back pain. Results indicated that no significant differences existed between the two groups. Ancillary findings indicated that adult males with chronic low back pain were more depressed than adult males with hypertension. Those with continuous chronic pain demonstrated higher depression scores and lower self-esteem scores than did those experiencing intermittent chronic pain.
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Long-term outcomes for 300 chronic back pain patients were assessed retrospectively by a telephone follow-up 4-6 years after the patients were evaluated by a multi-disciplinary rehabilitative program. A Perception of Disability scale, developed to rate subjective disability, was used along with objective measures of functioning. On objective measures, 56% of patients reported themselves working or work ready, 58% no longer received compensation, 62% were taking no prescription medications and 65% had no or brief medical treatment since evaluations. ⋯ There was a strong relationship between perceived disability and objective circumstances with 63% of the patients unable to work and 61% still on disability payments reporting their disability as increasing. Of the 48 patients reporting back surgery at some point after evaluation only 17% perceived themselves as improved while 58% considered themselves worse. These results are discussed in the context of the development of pain focussed lifestyles.