Disability in older adults with acute low back pain: the study Back Complaints in the Elderly - (Brazil).
Alessandra Regina Silva Araujo Aguiar, Giane Amorim Ribeiro-Samora, Leani Souza Maximo Pereira and 2 others
PMID 28941958WHAT IT FOUND
In older adults with acute low back pain, pain intensity was not associated with disability.
The oldest old did daily activities less often, and oldest old living with a partner did personal activities less often than those living alone.
Key findings
01Pain scores were associated with most disability domains, but the associations were too small to be clinically relevant.
02The oldest old group reported doing daily activities less often than the younger older adults, especially social activities.
03Among the oldest old, those living with a partner did personal activities less often than those living alone.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it can show associations but not cause and effect. Participants were a convenience sample referred from health services, which may have included older adults who were already more independent. Most participants were women, so the results may not apply equally to men. Pain was measured at the time of evaluation, and acute low back pain can come and go, which may weaken the link between current pain and disability. The statistically significant correlations between pain and disability were too small to be clinically relevant.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that pain intensity does not matter for disability. This study measured pain and disability at one time point, and acute low back pain can come and go, so it cannot show whether treating pain would reduce disability.