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A 12‐year follow‐up of subjects initially sicklisted with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses
Author(s) -
Kjellman Görel,
ÖBerg Birgitta,
Hensing Gunnel,
Alexanderson Kristina
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
physiotherapy research international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.509
H-Index - 49
eISSN - 1471-2865
pISSN - 1358-2267
DOI - 10.1002/pri.213
Subject(s) - medicine , low back pain , physical therapy , neck pain , medical diagnosis , back pain , retrospective cohort study , cohort study , surgery , alternative medicine , pathology
Background and Purpose Neck/shoulder and low back pain are common in the Western world and can cause great personal and economic consequences, but so far there are few long term follow‐up studies of the consequences of back pain, especially studies that separate the location of back pain. More knowledge is needed about different patterns of risk factors and prognoses for neck/shoulder and low back pain, respectively, and they should not be treated as similar conditions. The aim of the present study was to investigate possible long‐term differences in neck/shoulder and low back symptoms, experienced over a 12‐year period, with regard to work status, present health, discomfort and influence on daily activities. Method A retrospective cohort study of individuals sicklisted with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses 12 years ago was undertaken. Included were all 213 people who, in 1985, lived in the municipality of Linköping, Sweden, were aged 25–34 years and who had taken at least one new period of sickleave lasting >28 days with a neck/shoulder or low back diagnosis. In 1996, a questionnaire was mailed to the 204 people who were still resident in Sweden (response rate 73%). Results Those initially absent with neck/shoulder diagnoses rated their present state of discomfort as worse than those sicklisted with low back diagnoses. Only 4% of the neck/shoulder group reported no present discomfort compared with 25% of the low back group. Notably, both groups reported the same duration of low back discomfort during the last year, which may indicate a higher risk for symptoms in more than one location for subjects with neck/shoulder problems. Conclusions Individuals with sickness absence of more than 28 days with neck/shoulder or low back diagnoses appear to be at high risk of developing long‐standing symptoms, significantly more so for those initially having neck/shoulder diagnoses. Copyright © 2001 Whurr Publishers Ltd.