The prognostic value of catastrophizing for predicting the clinical evolution of low back pain patients: a study in routine clinical practice within the Spanish National Health Service

Patients With Neck Pain are Less Likely to Improve if They Experience Poor Sleep Quality

“…This is consistent with data from previous studies within the SNHS, in which losses to followup remain low until 3 months, and rise substantially thereafter. 22,31,35,39,[41][42][43] The main limitations of this study are that SQ was selfreported, and that NP among the recruited patients was mild. SQ was assessed through the PSQI, a validated questionnaire that is based on self-report, 24 and no objective measures such as actigraphy or polysomnography were used.…”

“…34,36,37 Moreover, catastrophizing has shown to grow when treatments for pain fail, and decrease dramatically as pain and disability improve when effective treatments are applied, 38,39 which suggests that catastrophizing may be triggered by treatment failure, as opposed to predicting it. 38,39 Furthermore, the association between catastrophizing and disability disappears when other variables are taken into account, 38,40 and the influence of catastrophizing may vary across cultural contexts; all the studies performed in Southern Europe, where the current one took place, have shown its influence to be inexistent or clinically irrelevant. [39][40][41] Therefore, it is unlikely that catastrophizing could have had any influence on the relationship between SQ, pain, and disability that was found in this study (Tables 3-5).…”

“…38,39 Furthermore, the association between catastrophizing and disability disappears when other variables are taken into account, 38,40 and the influence of catastrophizing may vary across cultural contexts; all the studies performed in Southern Europe, where the current one took place, have shown its influence to be inexistent or clinically irrelevant. [39][40][41] Therefore, it is unlikely that catastrophizing could have had any influence on the relationship between SQ, pain, and disability that was found in this study (Tables 3-5). All patients who were invited to participate in this study, accepted, and only 0.9% were lost to follow-up.…”

The perceptions of people with low back pain treated in the Spanish National Health, and their experience while undergoing a new evidence-based treatment. A focus group study

“…However, certain psychological variables which are important for people with LBP in these cultural contexts, such as fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23], have shown to be irrelevant in Southern Europe [24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. These differences might suggest variations in the experiences of LBP across these cultural settings.…”

“…However, the disappointing clinical evolution experienced by such patients, characterized by failed treatments and persistent pain, increases catastrophizing and may lead to mistrust towards any additional treatments and loss of hope [31]. Therefore, the experience of subacute and chronic LBP patients when undergoing a new evidence-based treatment should be explored, in order to gain some insight into how these patients cope with both the success and failure of the treatment.…”