Abstract
Purpose
This multicentre, collaborative, cross-sectional study aimed to explore the characteristics of subgroups based on central sensitivity syndromes (CSSs) and low back pain (LBP) severity. Furthermore, we investigated the relationship between the classified subgroups and work status among the care workers.
Patients and methods
In 660 care workers, we assessed LBP intensity, pain duration, pain sites, CSS (using the central sensitization inventory-9), psychological factors (using the pain catastrophizing scale and pain self-efficacy questionnaire), and work status (interference, amount of assistance, frequency of assistance, and work environment). We used hierarchical clustering analysis to divide the participants into subgroups based on CSS and LBP severity. We further performed multiple comparison analyzes and adjusted the residuals (chi-square test) to reveal differences between clusters.
Results
Care workers with LBP were divided into four subgroups (Cluster 1: no CSS and mild LBP, Cluster 2: mild CSS and severe LBP, Cluster 3: mild CSS and mild LBP, Cluster 4: severe CSS and moderate LBP). Cluster 4 tended to have a higher number of pain sites, severe pain catastrophizing, and poor pain self-efficacy. In addition, Cluster 4 showed a higher frequency of assistance and an inadequate working environment and equipment. By contrast, Cluster 2 tended to have low pain self-efficacy. In addition, Cluster 2 experienced the highest work-related interference compared with any of the subgroups.
Conclusion
Our findings suggested that the severe LBP and severe CSS subgroups had common and different characteristics concerning psychological factors and work status, including interference with work. Our results may help to improve the management of care workers with LBP.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
We would like to thank all study participants for their time and willingness to respond to complete the questionnaires. We are also grateful to the staff for the distribution and collection of questionnaires and for data entry.
Funding
This study was supported by a grant from JSPS KAKENHI (grant number: 22K11219).
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Shigetoh, H., Abiko, T., Ohyama, M. et al. Subgroup characteristics in care workers with low back pain: cluster analysis-based severity of central sensitivity syndromes and low back pain. Eur Spine J 33, 1447–1454 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-024-08143-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-024-08143-7