Abstract
Aims
To investigate whether the duration of pain has an influence on the clinical outcomes of patients with low back pain (LBP) managed through the North East of England Regional Back Pain and Radicular Pain Pathway (NERBPP).
Patients and Methods
The NERBPP is a clinical pathway based upon NICE guidelines (2009) for LBP. Patients with LBP referred onto the NERBPP by their General Practitioner (GP) between May 2015 and January 2017 were included in this evaluation. Data from 635 patients, who provided pre and post data for pain (Numerical rating scale [NRS]), function (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]) and quality-of-life (EuroQol [EQ5D]), were analysed using a series of covariate adjusted models in SPSS. Patients were categorised into four groups based upon pain duration: <3months, ≥3 to <6months, ≥6months to <12months, ≥12months.
Results
Each group showed improved outcomes greater than MCID for each measure as defined in NICE guidelines (2016). Preliminary analysis raises the possibility of a trend towards better outcomes for those with shorter pain durations.
Conclusion
Patients with all durations of back pain showed benefit on the NERBPP.
Clinical relevance
Recent changes to NICE guidelines (2016), advocate the same management of all LBP patients regardless of pain duration. These findings explore the appropriateness of those changes.
Conflicts of interest: None
The study was supported by funding from the Health Foundation and the North East Academic Health Science Network.
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