Return to self-reported physical activity level after an event of acute low back pain

Daniel Pozzobon; Leandro A Calazans Nogueira; Paulo H Ferreira; Daniel Steffens; Paula R Beckenkamp; Fiona M Blyth; Manuela L Ferreira

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219556

Return to self-reported physical activity level after an event of acute low back pain

PLoS One. 2019 Jul 10;14(7):e0219556. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219556. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Daniel Pozzobon¹, Leandro A Calazans Nogueira^{2

3}, Paulo H Ferreira⁴, Daniel Steffens⁵, Paula R Beckenkamp⁴, Fiona M Blyth⁶, Manuela L Ferreira¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Bone and Joint Research, the Kolling Institute, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² Rehabilitation Science Post-graduate Program, Augusto Motta University Centre (UNISUAM), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
³ Physiotherapy Department at Federal Institute of Rio de Janeiro (IFRJ), RJ, Brazil.
⁴ The University of Sydney, Musculoskeletal Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Discipline of Physiotherapy, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁵ Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOuRCe), Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (RPAH), Sydney, NSW, Australia.
⁶ Concord Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity participation is known to promote better mobility and coordination. Although previous research has established that lack of physical activity participation may increase the risk of developing low back pain, the role of physical activity as a predictor of recovery among symptomatic individuals remains unclear.

Objective: To evaluate whether: (i) the level of physical activity participation before an acute episode of low back pain predicts recovery within 12 months following the acute pain episode (i.e. index episode); and (ii) participants return to their pre-pain level of physical activity participation 12 months from the index episode.

Design: This study used longitudinal data from the TRIGGERS case-crossover study.

Setting: This study was conducted through over-the-phone interviews to participants that presented to 300 primary care clinics with a new episode of acute low back pain.

Participants: This study included 999 consecutive patients, aged 18 years or older. Follow-up assessment was completed at 12 months following the index episode.

Methods: This is a cohort study where consecutive patients, aged 18 years or older, that presented with a new episode of acute low back pain were recruited between October 2011 and November 2012.

Main outcome measurements: Self-reported level of physical activity participation.

Results: A total of 830 participants completed the study. When comparing participants who reported pain at 12 months follow-up with those without pain, all participants reported similar levels of physical activity participation one week before (p = 0.449), one week after (p = 0.812) and 12 months after the index episode (p = 0.233). The level of physical activity participation before the index episode was not a reliable predictor of presence of pain at either 3 or 12 months follow-up (OR 0.99; 95% CI 0.993 to 1.003; p = 0.523 and OR 1; 95% CI 0.992 to 1.008; p = 0.923, respectively).

Conclusion: Physical activity participation did not predict recovery from the pain episode. Also all participants returned to their pre-pain level of physical activity participation after 12 months.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Acute Pain / diagnosis*
Acute Pain / physiopathology
Adult
Cross-Over Studies
Exercise / physiology*
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Low Back Pain / diagnosis*
Low Back Pain / physiopathology
Male
Middle Aged
Pain Measurement
Prognosis
Self Report / statistics & numerical data
Telephone
Time Factors

Grants and funding

This research is supported by the Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (application ID APP1003608). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.