Cognitive Factors Affecting Chronicity Risk of Acute and Subacute Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Chronic low back pain is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders in the world. This study aimed at evaluating the risk of non-specific chronic low back pain and related cognitive risk factors.

This descriptive analytic study was performed in 162 patients in a military hospital in Tehran, Iran 2020. Data were collected using the STarT Back Screening Tool, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Patient Health Questionnaire, Pain Catastrophizing Scale, and Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Data analysis was carried out in SPSS V25 using independent samples t-test, Chi-square, and multiple logistic regression.

Among the patients, 23.40% and 25.84% had sub-acute and acute low back pains, respectively, and were at high risk for chronic low back pain. Fear-avoidance belief, fear of movement, catastrophizing the pain, and depression were found to be the major risk factors for chronicity risk of acute and sub-acute non-specific low back pain.

Most of the patients studied were at moderate and high chronicity risk for low back pain. Therefore, determining the risk levels of chronic back pain in acute and sub-acute pains and considering all parameters affecting the chronicity of low back pain, e.g. individual and cognitive factors at the beginning of treatment are of great benefit in creating a suitable algorithm for treatment.