Persistence, not avoidance, is associated with low back pain- an observational cohort study

Review written by Todd Hargrove info

Key Points

  1. Persistent behavior, when accompanied by anxiety, was associated with increased pain intensity over time in patients with acute low back pain.
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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Back pain researchers are interested in how pain is affected by a patient’s tendency to either avoid or persist with movements that cause pain.

Previous research has emphasized the potentially negative effects of avoidance, which may lead to maladaptive changes that prevent recovery. On the other hand, there is also concern that excessive persistence may increase pain intensity.

This study examined how pacing strategy affected outcomes in low back pain (LBP). It followed patients with acute LBP for one year and measured associations between pain, psychosocial variables, motor control impairments, and the degree to which patients either avoided or persisted with movements related to pain.

Previous research has emphasized the potentially negative effects of avoidance, which may lead to maladaptive changes that prevent recovery.
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The optimal pacing strategy for a client with low back pain involves striking some balance between avoidance and persistence.

METHODS

165 participants with acute LBP were assessed at five times after onset: one month, two, three, six, and 12 months.

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