Comparison of quality of life and treatment efficacy in patients with chronic low back pain syndrome

摘要

AIM: To test use of quality of life (QL) parameters for assessing treatment efficacy in patients with chronic low back pain syndrome (CLBPS). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Clinical, device examinations, questionnaire survey were made in 100 patients, most of them females (77%) with CLBPS due to spinal osteochondrosis. Mean age of the patients was 45.69 +/- 7.61 years, mean duration of the disease 10.20 +/- 6.01 years, duration of the exacerbation 4.04 +/- 1.75 months. Most of the examinees had CLBPS x-ray stage II. QL was evaluated by questionning (general SF-36, HAQ and special Oswestry low back pain disability (OLBPD) questionnaires). RESULTS: The patients were divided into two groups by clinical and device findings and responses to the questionnaires. Group I patients had significant improvement of all the parameters studied, patients of group 2 had no improvement. A strong correlation was found between OLBPD responses and the patients' appraisal of the treatment efficacy. The effect value, standardized significance rates and factors intensity reflected high informative value of the questionnaire by assessment of efficacy of CLBPS treatment. CONCLUSION: SF-36 and OLBPD are recommended as adequate general and special questionnaires respectively, to estimate QL in patients with CLBPS. The treatment is effective if total parameters of physical and mental health by SF-36 rise significantly while vital activity disorders by OLBPD reduce more than 2-fold.