Assessment and correlation between subjective and physiological variables of chronic spinal pain

Abstract

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Chronic pain on the spine has a high prevalence. The assessment of subjective and physiological parameters over time, and how they relate is important to check changes in people’s health status who suffer from this condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate and correlate the subjective and physiological variables of chronic pain on the spine. METHODS: Observational, prospective study of repeated measures, carried out from September 2015 to January 2016, with 99 people registered on the waiting list of a University physiotherapy clinic of Minas Gerais. Four evaluations were performed with a 15-day interval. RESULTS: It was found statistically significant reductions over time in pain intensity (p<0.001), in its interference with daily activities (p<0.001), in pain threshold (p<0.001) and physical impairment (p<0.001). There were negative correlations between pain threshold and pain intensity in evaluations three (p=0.003) and four (p=0.001); a positive correlation between pain intensity and physical impairment in all evaluations (p<0.001); and a negative correlation between pain threshold and physical impairment in evaluations one (p=0.001), three (p=0.043) and four (p=0.004). There are also positive correlations between pain intensity and its interference with daily activities (p<0.001); and a negative correlation between pain threshold and these activities, especially in evaluations three and four. CONCLUSION: There are correlations between subjective variables and physiological characteristics of chronic pain on the spine.

Keywords

• Chronic pain
• Pain measurement
• Spine