Several factors were found to be associated with disability at follow-up for at least two different pain symptoms .
However , owing to insufficient studies , no generic risk factors for sick leave were identified .
Conclusions Multiple site pain , high pain severity , older age , baseline disability and longer pain duration were identified as potential prognostic factors for disability across pain sites .
There was limited evidence that anxiety and depression were associated with disability in patients with subacute pain , indicating that these factors may not play as large a role as expected in developing disability due to a pain condition .
Objective This systematic review aims to identify generic prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in subacute pain patients .
Are prognostic indicators for poor outcome different for acute and chronic low back pain consulters in primary care?
& NA ; Few studies have investigated whether prognostic indicators , which contribute to the transition from acute to chronic low back pain ( LBP ) , are also those which contribute to continuing persistence of chronic LBP . We compared the contribution of physical , psychological and social indicators to predicting disability after one year between consulters with LBP of less than 3 months duration and more than 3 months duration . Data from two large prospect i ve cohort studies of consecutive patients consulting with LBP in general practice s were merged , providing complete data for 258 cases with acute/subacute LBP and 668 cases with chronic LBP at 12 months follow‐up . There were significant differences between the two LBP groups in baseline characteristics and clinical course of disability , assessed by Rol and Morris Disability Question naire , during the year of follow‐up . Adjusted associations between potential prognostic indicators and disability at 12 months were carried out in the two LBP subgroups . The final multivariable regression models showed that being non‐employed , having widespread pain , a high level of Chronic Pain Grade , and catastrophising were the strongest prognostic indicators for disability at 12 months in both LBP groups . Fear of pain was significantly associated with disability in chronic LBP . Importantly , beyond baseline disability , the effect size of the other prognostic indicators for poor outcome was rather low . These findings must continue to challenge research ers to identify useful early predictors of outcome in persons with disabling back pain , as screening and targeted treatment approaches are dependent upon prognostic indicators with clinical significance
Several factors were found to be associated with disability at follow-up for at least two different pain symptoms .
However , owing to insufficient studies , no generic risk factors for sick leave were identified .
Conclusions Multiple site pain , high pain severity , older age , baseline disability and longer pain duration were identified as potential prognostic factors for disability across pain sites .
There was limited evidence that anxiety and depression were associated with disability in patients with subacute pain , indicating that these factors may not play as large a role as expected in developing disability due to a pain condition .
Objective This systematic review aims to identify generic prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in subacute pain patients .