Schmerzchronifizierung, Geschlecht und Rehabilitationserfolg bei chronischem Rückenschmerz. Eine Pilotstudie

BACKGROUND: Current biopsychosocial models of the etiology and chronicity of back pain postulate a major impact of psychological factors in the process of back pain chronicity.

PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Effects of gender and pain staging on rehabilitation outcome were examined immediately after and 3 and 6 months after rehabilitation in 121 patients with chronic low back pain (43 women, 78 men; M=48 years; ICD-10 diagnoses M54.4/M54.5). Pain was staged using the Mainz Pain Staging System.

RESULTS: In the short and mid term, patients in stage I and women benefited from rehabilitation. Rehabilitation outcomes tended not to be improved for men in stage III.

CONCLUSIONS: Results support the notion that rehabilitation outcome is significantly influenced by pain staging and gender. Thus, clinical-psychological and gender-specific interventions should be incorporated in future therapeutic regimens to increase the rehabilitation outcomes in patients with higher chronicity of back pain.