Be Brave and Cool, Be Far From Low Back Pain: Kinesiophobia and Pain Catastrophizing Behaviour Can Cause Disability in Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain Patients Like the Other Maladaptive Psyschosocial Factors

Abstract

The aim of the study is to research the effect of kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing behavior on disability related to low back pain among patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. Material and Methods: In this prospective and cross-sectional study, in which the data of 54 patients in total were recorded with 3 stages of patient recruitment; the data of kinesiophobia (with Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale ), catastrophe (with Pain Catastrophizing Scale) and low back pain-related disability level (with Oswestry Disability Index) with sociodemographic and anthropometric data were analyzed. By means of statistical analysis; continuous variables were expressed with mean value±standard deviation and median value (minimum-maximum) and categorical variables were expressed in terms of numbers and percentages. The Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation of the variables. The correlation coefficient of 0.00-0.30 was considered as negligible, 0.30-0.50 as low, 0.50-0.70 as medium, 0.70-0.90 as high, and 0.90-1.00 as very high. Results: A moderate positive correlation was identified between kinesiophobia and catastrophizing with disability level related to low back pain. There was a low-degree negative correlation between disability level related to low back pain with education and income level. Conclusions: Psychosocial pathologies like kinesiophobia and pain catastrophizing behavior may affect disability related to low back pain in a negative sense. In addition to the pathoanatomic/biomedical approach, treatment should include a psychosocial-based assessment and if psychosocial pathology is identified, treatments like pain education and cognitive behavioral therapy should be added to present treatments.