This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Sleep disorder may impact health care visits for patients with low back pain
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Investigators of this study found greater pain intensity and disability were predictors of more pain-related health care utilization 1 year after patients with low back pain attended a management class. In addition, a sleep disorder diagnosis significantly impacted low back pain-related health care visits and costs apart from the effects of pain intensity, disability, and demographic and health-related characteristics; however, it did not moderate these relationships.
Researchers identified 757 patients with low back pain who attended a self-management class at a large U.S. military hospital. At baseline, pain intensity, disability and sleepiness were recorded. Investigators used the Military Health System Data Repository to determine medical visits for a sleep disorder in the 12 months before the class and low back pain-related health care use in the 12 months after the class. Multivariate analyses were developed to evaluate pain intensity and disability as predictors of health care utilization. Sleepiness and presence of a sleep disorder were potential moderators. Age, sex, history of back pain and mental health comorbidities were used to adjust analyses.
Of the patients, 195 were diagnosed with a sleep disorder. Investigators noted sleepiness was not a significant predictor of health care utilization. Across all analyses, the effects of disability, pain intensity and the presence of a sleep disorder were significant. Greater disability, pain intensity and the presence of a sleep disorder correlated with an increase in predicted visits and costs for low back pain. Sleep disorder presence was not seen as a significant moderator in any model. – by Monica Jaramillo
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts