Chronic low back pain in individuals with chronic neck pain of traumatic and non-traumatic origin: A population-based study

Figures & data

Table 1.  Questions on neck and low back complaints

Have you visited a doctor because of a neck or head injury? Yes, due to whiplash injury Yes, other neck injury Yes, head injury No If you suffer from neck pain, for how long have you had the symptoms? In the past week For the past 6 months For more than 6 months If you suffer from neck pain, how often do you have the symptoms? All the time A few times a month A few times a year If you suffer from low back pain and/or ache, stiffness, for how long have you had symptoms? In the past week For the past 6 months For more than 6 months If you suffer from low back pain and/or ache, stiffness, how often do you have symptoms? All the time A few times a month A few times a year

Table 2.  Prevalence of chronic low back pain according to age group and sex, in the entire survey population and in individuals with chronic neck pain

Age group	Sex	Chronic low back pain^a
		within the entire survey population		within the subgroup of individuals with chronic neck pain
25–34	M	7	(16 / 221)	47	(7 / 15)
	F	13	(31 / 246)	55	(23 / 42)
35–44	M	11	(54 / 504)	48	(30 / 62)
	F	11	(62 / 585)	43	(41 / 96)
45–54	M	13	(92 / 709)	51	(52 / 102)
	F	17	(119 / 705)	51	(81 / 160)
55–64	M	18	(128 / 698)	51	(72 / 141)
	F	24	(181 / 747)	58	(121 / 210)
Total	M	14	(290 / 2132)	50	(161 / 320)
	F	17	(393 / 2283)	52	(266 / 508)

^a percentage and (number with chronic low back pain / number in the population)

Table 3.  The prevalence (%) of chronic low-back pain

Subgroup	N	n	%	(95% CI)
The study population	4415	683	15.7	(14.4–16.6)
Individuals with chronic neck pain and
no history of neck trauma	566	301	53	(49–57)
a history of neck trauma	186	90	48	(41–56)
whiplash trauma	81	41	51	(40–62)
other neck trauma	105	49	47	(37–56)
Individuals without chronic neck pain and
no trauma	3,176	214	6.7	(5.9–7.7)
whiplash trauma	73	7	10	(5–19)
other neck trauma	105	9	9	(5–16)

Table 4.  Prevalence of chronic low back pain in individuals with chronic neck pain. Statistical analysis of some possible risk factors

	Chronic low back pain		OR	(95% CI)	P-value
	No	Yes
	(n = 396)	(n = 421)
	(%)	(%)
History of neck trauma
no trauma (n = 566)	47	53	ref.
whiplash (n = 81)	49	51	0.90	(0.57–1.4)	0.7
other neck (n = 105)	53	47	0.77	(0.51–1.2)	0.2
Gender
women	48	52	ref.
men	50	50	0.92	(0.70–1.2)	0.6
Age
25–34	47	53	ref.
35–44	55	45	0.73	(0.40–1.4)	0.3
45–54	49	51	0.93	(0.52–1.7)	0.8
55–64	45	55	1.1	(0.63–1.9)	0.7
Married/cohabitant
no	44	56	ref.
yes	50	50	0.78	(0.47–1.3)	0.3
Education
university	59	41	ref.
primary	44	56	1.86	(1.2–2.9)	0.00
secondary	48	52	1.53	(1.0–2.3)	0.04
BMI
≤ 25	52	48	ref.
> 25	47	53	1.21	(0.91–1.6)	0.2
Smoking
non-smokers	49	51	ref.
smokers	46	54	1.11	(0.80–1.5)	0.5