Comparison of pain intensity, emotional status and disability level in patients with chronic neck and low back pain

OBJECTIVE: This study was planned to compare of pain, emotional status and disability level in patients with chronic neck pain and low back pain. METHODS: In this study, fifty patients with chronic low back pain (Group I) and fifty patients with chronic neck pain (Group II) at least 6 months were evaluated. A Visual Analog Scale was used to describe pain intensity. To determine emotional status of the subjects, the Beck Depression Scale was used The Oswestry Disability Index and the Neck Disability Index were used to evaluate disability level. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients with low back pain and neck pain were 39.70 +/- 9.71 years, 45.44 +/- 10.39 years, respectively. It was not found a significant difference between in low back pain (Group I) and neck pain (Group II) in results of pain intensity (p = 0.286) and pain duration (p = 0.382). It was found a significant difference between group I and group II in results of emotional status (p = 0.000) and disability level (p = 0.000). The emotional status and disability level scores were found highest in patient's with low back pain. CONCLUSION: Chronic low back pain is affect in patients than chronic neck pain as a emotional status and disability level.