OBJECTIVES: Because of the changing life style of Koreans, we have witnessed an increase of patients with back pain. The development of medical knowledge and technology has resulted in more numerous and better treatment methods. However, the outcomes of diverse treatments have been examined by using a few medicine-oriented measures like pain. This study aims at identifing the factors that influence the outcomes of back pain treatments by using two outcome measures (e.g., quality of life and pain). METHODS: We used the questionnaire survey method for data collection. The questionnaires contained 5 categories(treatment methods, clinical conditions, exercise, quality of life and, socio-demographic characteristics). We interviewed 188 back pain patients. We used the regression analysis method to predict the quality of life or pain. RESULTS: Surgery showed a statistically significant effect on the quality of life as well as pain. The illness period, age and exercise were turned out to be significant factors for both of the dependent variables. The social class and surgery methods showed a statistically significant effect solely on the quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: In choosing the surgical methods, doctors need to provide detailed explanations on the quality of life outcomes for each of the surgical methods to the patients.
Adult ; Back Pain/*psychology/therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Quality of Life ; Republic of Korea ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

PURPOSE: Despite the high prevalence of back pain and its subsequent effects in post-partum women, intervention programs are scarce. The purpose of this study was to test the effects of a back-pain-reducing program on post-partum women who experienced low-back pain during pregnancy. METHODS: A non-equivalent control-group pretest-posttest design was used. Pregnant women who attended a hospital for prenatal check-ups and experienced back pain participated in an intervention program (n=27), and the results were compared with women in a control group from another hospital (n=25). RESULTS: At 8 weeks post-partum, the pain intensity, functional limitations were lower in the intervention group than in the control group. However, differences in mean change of the pain intensity and functional limitations between 36 and 39 weeks of gestation and at 8 weeks post-partum were not statistically significant between the groups. Moreover, the flexibility, post-partum functional status, and post-partum depression did not differ significantly between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: A back-pain-relief program in this study was not effective to reduce the back-pain intensity in post-partum women and to decrease the associated functional limitations. The implications for nursing practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Activities of Daily Living ; Adult ; Back Pain/psychology/*therapy ; Depression, Postpartum/etiology ; Exercise ; Female ; Humans ; Korea ; Patient Education as Topic ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Complications/*therapy ; *Prenatal Care ; Puerperal Disorders/*prevention & control

In the industrialized world, low back pain is second only to headache as a cause of pain. It is the leading cause of expenditure for Workers' Compensation. Some 50~80% of adults will have low back pain at some time in their lives. Risk factors that influence the incidence or prevalence of low back pain are hard labor and heavy exertions, age, gender, anthropometric factors, postural factors, spine mobility, muscle strength, physical fitness, smoking, and psychosocial factors. Lumbar disk syndrome is a common cause of acute, chronic, or recurrent low back pain, particularly in young to middle-aged men. Most patients with discogenic low back pain respond well to conservative managements. Conservative treatments of back pain traditionally have included rest, avoidance of stressful activities, use of back supports, exercise, physical therapy, medication, traction, and nerve block. As in any acute injury, cold packs decrease edema for initial 48 hours, and then hot pack or radiant ramp for 20~35 min is used for control of acute back pain. Electrotherapy and deep heat can also be used. For acute discogenic disorders, the use of simple analgesics every 4 to 6 hours is also helpful. Adequate analgesia with acetaminophen, NSAIDs, or a short course of sedative muscle relaxants or even synthetic opiates may be recommended. Spinal orthosis is helpful to prevent a severe painful spasm of paraspinal muscles and to maintain a proper posture of the spinal column.
Acetaminophen ; Adult ; Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Architectural Accessibility ; Back Pain ; Edema ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Exercise ; Headache ; Health Expenditures ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Incidence ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Muscle Strength ; Nerve Block ; Orthotic Devices ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Physical Fitness ; Posture ; Prevalence ; Psychology ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spasm ; Spine ; Traction ; Workers' Compensation

In the industrialized world, low back pain is second only to headache as a cause of pain. It is the leading cause of expenditure for Workers' Compensation. Some 50~80% of adults will have low back pain at some time in their lives. Risk factors that influence the incidence or prevalence of low back pain are hard labor and heavy exertions, age, gender, anthropometric factors, postural factors, spine mobility, muscle strength, physical fitness, smoking, and psychosocial factors. Lumbar disk syndrome is a common cause of acute, chronic, or recurrent low back pain, particularly in young to middle-aged men. Most patients with discogenic low back pain respond well to conservative managements. Conservative treatments of back pain traditionally have included rest, avoidance of stressful activities, use of back supports, exercise, physical therapy, medication, traction, and nerve block. As in any acute injury, cold packs decrease edema for initial 48 hours, and then hot pack or radiant ramp for 20~35 min is used for control of acute back pain. Electrotherapy and deep heat can also be used. For acute discogenic disorders, the use of simple analgesics every 4 to 6 hours is also helpful. Adequate analgesia with acetaminophen, NSAIDs, or a short course of sedative muscle relaxants or even synthetic opiates may be recommended. Spinal orthosis is helpful to prevent a severe painful spasm of paraspinal muscles and to maintain a proper posture of the spinal column.
Acetaminophen ; Adult ; Analgesia ; Analgesics ; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal ; Architectural Accessibility ; Back Pain ; Edema ; Electric Stimulation Therapy ; Exercise ; Headache ; Health Expenditures ; Hot Temperature ; Humans ; Incidence ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Muscle Strength ; Nerve Block ; Orthotic Devices ; Paraspinal Muscles ; Physical Fitness ; Posture ; Prevalence ; Psychology ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Smoking ; Spasm ; Spine ; Traction ; Workers' Compensation