A study of 488 people who sought treatment for low back pain by the Arthritis Research U.K. Primary Care Centre over a period of five years showed that a high intensity of pain when the condition first started predicted a long term chronic back pain and even disability after five years.
This is not particularly good news, as in my personal experience, and that of many acquaintances with back pain, it nearly always starts suddenly with severe pain.
The study took in several factors including demographic, psychological, physical and occupational. A baseline (initial) high intensity of pain predicted a 12% higher risk of developing chronic low back in the future.
Patients who believed that their pain would persist long term were 4% correct (the power of the human mind at work again). These numbers may not seem particularly significant but bear in mind that 4% of 488 is 19 people and it is estimated that 65 million in USA suffer with back pain the numbers become huge.
Interesting stuff, you can read the article describing the study on science daily.com here.
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