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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Research article

Self-reported pain and disability outcomes from an endogenous model of muscular back pain

Authors: Mark D Bishop, Maggie E Horn, Steven Z George, Michael E Robinson

Published in: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders | Issue 1/2011

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Abstract

Background

Our purpose was to develop an induced musculoskeletal pain model of acute low back pain and examine the relationship among pain, disability and fear in this model.

Methods

Delayed onset muscle soreness was induced in 52 healthy volunteers (23 women, 17 men; average age 22.4 years; average BMI 24.3) using fatiguing trunk extension exercise. Measures of pain intensity, unpleasantness, and location, and disability, were tracked for one week after exercise.

Results

Pain intensity ranged from 0 to 68 with 57.5% of participants reporting peak pain at 24 hours and 32.5% reporting this at 48 hours. The majority of participants reported pain in the low back with 33% also reporting pain in the legs. The ratio of unpleasantness to intensity indicated that the sensation was considered more unpleasant than intense. Statistical differences were noted in levels of reported disability between participants with and without leg pain.
Pain intensity at 24 hours was correlated with pain unpleasantness, pain area and disability. Also, fear of pain was associated with pain intensity and unpleasantness. Disability was predicted by sex, presence of leg pain, and pain intensity; however, the largest amount of variance was explained by pain intensity (27% of a total 40%). The second model, predicting pain intensity only included fear of pain and explained less than 10% of the variance in pain intensity.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate a significant association between pain and disability in this model in young adults. However, the model is most applicable to patients with lower levels of pain and disability. Future work should include older adults to improve the external validity of this model.
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Metadata
Title
Self-reported pain and disability outcomes from an endogenous model of muscular back pain
Authors
Mark D Bishop
Maggie E Horn
Steven Z George
Michael E Robinson
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2474
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-12-35

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