Pain, Disability Status and Psychological Factors in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine pain, disability status and psychological factors in patients with chronic low back pain. Material and Methods: The study included 167 participants (41 with chronic low back pain; 126 healthy controls). Demographic data of the patients were recorded. Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index and The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) were used to assess pain intensity, disability level and psychological factors, respectively. Results: The mean age of the patients (group I) and healthy controls (group II) were 39.90 +/- 10.41 years and 37.67 +/- 11.17 years, respectively. The mean duration of pain was 4.73 +/- 5.63 years, and the mean intensity level of pain was 6.39 +/- 1.59 in group I. The mean score in the Oswestry Disability Index was 35.75 +/- 7.46 in the patient group. The difference between group! and group II regarding the results of hypochondriasis (p=0.006), depression (p=0.003) and dissimulation (p=0.040) was significant. The MMPI test scores were higher in the patient group than in healthy controls. The pain scores showed a positive correlation with depression (p=0.001), hypochondriasis (p<0.001) and hysteria (p<0.001) in patients with low back pain. Conclusion: The consequences suggest that chronic low back pain, as a variety of chronic pains, is an important problem, which increases psychological vulnerability and requires psychiatric help.