Synonyms
Behavioral Responses to Examination; Behavioral Descriptions of Symptoms; Inappropriate Symptoms and Signs; Inconsistent Symptoms and Signs; Medically Incongruent Symptoms and Signs; Non-Anatomic Symptoms and Signs; Nomogenic Symptoms and Signs; Waddell Signs
Definition
Descriptions of symptoms and responses to clinical examination in patients with low back pain, which relate more to cognitive-behavioral processes than to physical pathology.
Characteristics
Clinical assessment and diagnosis are based on the recognition of patterns of symptoms and signs, which in most patients fit to a greater or lesser degree with anatomy, mechanics and pathology. Occasional patients, however, present symptoms and signs that are not only vague and ill-localized, lack the normal relationship with time and activity, and appear out of proportion to the physical injury or pathology, but positively contradict normal anatomic boundaries and biomechanics.
Non-organic signs in low back pain have been...
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Fishbain DA, Cole B, Cutler RB, Lewis J, Rosmoff HL, Rosomoff RS (2003) A Structured, Evidence-Based Review of the Meaning of Non-organic Physical Signs: Waddell Signs. Pain Med 4:141-181
Fishbain DA, Cutler R, Rosomoff HL, Rosomoff RS (1999) Chronic Pain Disability Exaggeration/Malingering and Submaximal Effort Research. Clin J Pain 15:244–274
Keefe FJ, Block AR (1982) Development of an Observation Method for Assessing Pain Behavior in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients. Behav Ther 13:363–375
Main CJ, Waddell G (1998) Behavioral Responses to Examination. A Reappraisal of the Interpretation of “Non-organic Signs” Spine 23:2367–2371
Margoles MS (1990) Clinical Assessment and Interpretation of Abnormal Illness Behaviour in Low Back Pain. Letter to the Editor. Pain 42:258–259
Merskey H (1988) Regional Pain is Rarely Hysterical. Arch Neurol 45:915–918
Waddell G (2004) The Back Pain Revolution, 2nd edn. Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh
Waddell G, Main CJ, Morris EW, Di Paola MP, Gray ICM (1984) Chronic Low Back Pain, Psychological Distress, and Illness Behavior. Spine 9:209–213
Waddell G, McCulloch JA, Kummel E, Venner RM (1980) Non-Organic Physical Signs in Low Back Pain. Spine 5:117–125
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this entry
Cite this entry
Waddell, G. (2007). Non-Organic Symptoms and Signs. In: Schmidt, R., Willis, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Pain. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2817
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-29805-2_2817
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-43957-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-29805-2
eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine