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Recovery after First-Time Back Pain

Is this your first time having low back pain? Wondering if you'll get better?

This study followed first-time back pain sufferers for three months after going to their primary health care provider. They report 76 percent of the patients got better from their back pain. There was a quick decrease in pain and return to normal during the first four weeks.

Why didn't the other 24 percent recover? That's what the authors of this study from the University of Oslo in Norway report on. They included 123 patients ages between 18 and 60 years old with low back pain occurring within the last three weeks.

Everyone went to a doctor, chiropractor, or physical therapist for care during the first three weeks. For this study, they were examined by a physical therapist. Each patient also answered questions on a survey about pain, use of pain relievers, sleeping, working, and other functions.

Factors linked with nonrecovery included age (over 45 years old), work loss, and two or more neurologic signs. Psychosocial factors including distress and depression were also linked. Smoking, leg pain, gender, and education weren't linked to nonrecovery.

The authors conclude that primary care providers need to think about psychologic factors in patients making their first visit for low back pain. Anyone who is distressed and depressed is more likely to have chronic back pain after the first episode of acute back pain.

References: Margreth Grotle, PT, MSc, et al. Clinical Course and Prognostic Factors in Acute Low Back Pain: Patients Consulting Primary Care for the First Time. In Spine. April 15, 2005. Vol. 30. No. 8. Pp. 976-982.

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