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 .
Does a patient’s physical activity predict recovery from an episode of acute low back pain? A prospective cohort study
Background Advice to remain active and normalisation of activity are commonly prescribed in the management of low back pain ( LBP ) . However , no research has assessed whether objective measurements of physical activity predict outcome and recovery in acute low back pain . Method The aims of this study were to assess the predictive relationship between activity and disability at 3 months in a sub-acute LBP population . This prospect i ve cohort study recruited 101 consenting patients with sub-acute LBP ( < 6 weeks ) who completed the Rol and Morris Disability Question naire ( RMDQ ) , the Visual Analogue Scale , and resumption of full ‘ normal ’ activity question ( Y/N ) , at baseline and 3 months .  Physical activity  was measured for 7 days at both baseline and at 3 months with an RT3 accelerometer and a recall question naire . Results Observed and self-reported measures of physical activity at baseline and change in activity from baseline to 3 months were not independent predictors of RMDQ ( p > 0.05 ) or RMDQ change ( p > 0.05 ) over 3 months . A self-report of a return to full ‘ normal ’ activities was significantly associated with greater RMDQ change score at 3 months ( p < 0.001 ) . Paired t-tests found no significant change in activity levels measured with the RT3 ( p = 0.57 ) or the recall question naire ( p = 0.38 ) from baseline to 3 months . Conclusions These results question the predictive role of physical activity in LBP recovery , and the assumption that activity levels change as LBP symptoms resolve . The importance of a patient ’s perception of activity limitation in recovery from acute LBP was also highlighted . Trial registration Clinical Trial Registration Number ,
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 .