Physicians should optimally manage patients with AIS as spinal pain was found to be
common in patients with AIS. Also the intesity of pain was higher in patients
with greater spinal deformity.
This study aimed to examine spinal pain
commonness in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Moreover, this was
explored associations between pain intensity and pain-related disability with
scoliosis site, severity, and spinal bracing.
The link between spinal pain and AIS remains unclear and causal. Spinal
asymmetry has been recognised as a back pain risk factor, which is a known
cause of care-seeking in adolescents.
Participants were enrolled in an outpatient tertiary-care scoliosis clinic.
Pain-related disability and pain intensity were evaluated by the Roland-Morris
Disability Questionnaire and the Brief Pain Inventory questionnaire. Scoliosis
severity determination was performed using Cobb angles. Associations were
explored using multiple linear regressions and reported with unstandardized
beta coefficients (β) adjusted for age and sex.
For evaluation enlisted 500 patients (85% female) with a mean (SD) age of 14.2
(1.8) years. Of thoracic and lumbar Cobb angle means (SD) were 24.54 (9.77) and
24.13 (12.40), respectively. Spinal pain prevalence was found to be 68% [95%
confidence interval (95% CI): 64.5-72.4] with a mean magnitude of 1.63 (SD,
1.89). The spinal pain magnitude was positively related to scoliosis severeness
in the main thoracic (P = 0.003), and lumbar (P = 0.001) zones and the mean
(SD) disability score was 1.73 (2.98). Disability was positively related to
scoliosis severeness in the proximal thoracic (P = 0.035), lumbar (P = 0.000)
and main thoracic (P = 0.000) zones. Spinal bracing was related to lower spinal
pain intensity in the thoracic (P = 0.000) and lumbar regions (P = 0.009).
Bracing was also related to a lower disability for all spinal areas.
Spinal pain is a common condition among patients with AIS, and more significant
spinal deformity was related to higher pain severity. Evaluated assessments
should inform clinical decision-making when caring for patients with AIS.
Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2017 Aug 1;42(15):E914-E919
Back Pain Prevalence Is Associated With Curve-type and Severity in Adolescents With Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Cross-sectional Study.
Theroux J et al.
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