Important Missing Links in the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain Patients

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study examined the association between chronic low back pain [CLBP] and the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD].

Methods: The experiences of 161 patients receiving treatment for CLBP were examined with self-report measures for perceived pain severity, traumatic experiences, and symptom levels of PTSD. Participants’ responses determined which of four groups they were placed in to further explore predictor variables.

Results: Overall, 51 percent of the patients evidenced PTSD symptoms ranging between mild and severe. Within-group comparisons indicated that between 25 percent and 77 percent of patients reported some level [mild to severe] of PTSD symptoms. Patients who had reported a history of trauma evidenced the highest levels of PTSD symptoms in comparison with the other groups. There was a significant positive association between patients' levels of pain severity and their levels of PTSD symptoms.

Conclusion: Findings of this study indicate that there is an increased positive association between CLBP patients’ level of pain severity and symptoms reported of PTSD. Findings highlight the need for pain specialists to assess not only pain severity levels, but also anxiety symptoms. Very vital links, which should not be missed when treating these patients, are to provide treatments that target their physical condition and emotional distress or anxiety and that increase their sense of control over their pain experience and treatments. Such holistic treatments may help these patients to more effectively cope with their pain condition.

KEYWORDS. :

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• chronic pain
• chronic low back pain
• pain management

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to thank Dr. Ann Huynh, Dr. Julia Whealin, and Dr. David Foy for their valuable feedback on this paper.

Declaration of interest: The author reports no conflict of interest. The author alone is responsible for the content and writing of this paper.