Relationship between the intensity of chronic low back pain and the generated limitations with depressive symptoms

• Autor(a) principal: Donatti,Ariel
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Alves,Élen dos Santos, Terassi,Mariélli, Luchesi,Bruna Moretti, Pavarini,Sofia Cristina Iost, Inouye,Keika
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: BrJP (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2595-31922019000300247
• topic: Chronic pain; Depression; Disability; Gerontology; Health of the elderly; Low back pain

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Aging adds to the prevalence of chronic diseases and functional impairment. Depressive symptoms and chronic low back pain affect an increasing number of elderly people and become important research topics. This study aimed to identify the relationship between chronic low back pain intensity, its generated disability, and the presence of depressive symptoms in independent elderly people for basic daily activities. METHODS: The study is descriptive, quantitative, and cross-sectional. A sample of independent elderly patients with chronic low back pain (n=46) enrolled in the Family Health Units of the city of São Carlos, SP, Brazil, was analyzed. For collection, we used the Characterization Sheet, Multidimensional Pain Rating Scale, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, and the Geriatric Depression Scale. The data obtained were input in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software (SPSS) for Windows to perform the descriptive and Spearman correlational analysis. The ethical precepts for research with humans of the National Health Council were respected. RESULTS: The most frequent pain intensity perceived by the elderly was intense (43.5%, n=20), preceded by moderate pain (41.3%, n=19). Most of the elderly describe low back pain as persistent, painful, and uncomfortable. The mean total depression score was 4.37 points (Md=4.00, SD=2.67, xmin = 0.00, xmax = 11.00). CONCLUSION: Correlational analyses showed that there is a significant directly proportional relationship between the intensity of low back pain and the number of weak depressive symptoms, and a significant directly proportional relationship between the number of disabilities/limitations caused by low back pain and the number of moderate depressive symptoms.