Tracking low back pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective cohort study protocol

Abstract

BackgroundNumerous methodological limitations have constrained the findings of previous studies that have examined the prevalence of low back pain in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. This article presents a study protocol that has been designed to address the shortcomings of prior research in this area. In addition, it will establish the level of disease burden associated with acute, recurrent, and chronic low back pain in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis.MethodsThis study will involve a prospective cohort of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis presenting to an outpatient department in a paediatric hospital. Potential participants will be eligible for inclusion if they are aged 10–17 years, experience adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, own a mobile phone, and are able to communicate in either French or English adequately. The primary outcome measure is the presence of low back pain. The secondary outcome will be measures with the Brief Pain Questionnaire and the PedsQL questionnaire. Participants will be followed over a 12-month period reporting weekly, via SMS-tracking.DiscussionPrevious studies frequently established the prevalence of low back pain through asking participants to recall whether they experienced low back pain over certain periods. These periods often extended beyond many months, and hence were subject to recall bias. Our study addresses such bias through gathering data on a weekly basis using SMS-tracking providing detailed information about the progression of low back pain, which allows researchers to establish the prevalence of acute, recurrent, and chronic low back pain with a better certainty. Furthermore, the previous studies failed to use a standardised definition of low back pain. As such, it is not possible to determine whether the reported low back pain was experienced at the following standardised defined location: “pain in the space between the lower posterior margin of the rib cage and the horizontal gluteal fold”.ConclusionThis research protocol will be the first study to determine the proportion of adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis who experience acute, recurrent, and chronic low back pain, and establish the level of the burden associated with these subgroups of low back pain.

Prevalence and Predictors of Scoliosis and Back Pain in 591 Adolescents: A Randomized, Stratified, Cross-Sectional Study in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

“…Infantile, juvenile, or adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is classified based on the age at which it is first recognized [1][2]. AIS affects children over the age of 10, up to skeletal maturity, and with a prevalence of 0.47% to 5.2%, it is the most common spinal deformity that develops in otherwise healthy children [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Moreover, AIS has a female predominance with a 1.5:1 to 3:1 ratio [2].…”

“…Many studies have shown that back pain is a widespread complaint associated with AIS, ranging from a 20% to 85% prevalence [2][3][4][5][6][11][12]. Regarding the intensity of the pain, it has been observed that higher levels of deformity are associated with more pain [6].…”

“…Many studies have shown that back pain is a widespread complaint associated with AIS, ranging from a 20% to 85% prevalence [2][3][4][5][6][11][12]. Regarding the intensity of the pain, it has been observed that higher levels of deformity are associated with more pain [6]. Additionally, back pain associated with AIS has been found to have a longer duration compared to that of non-scoliotic patients [12].…”

The Role of Hyaluronic Acid in Intervertebral Disc Regeneration

“…In terms of disability-adjusted life years, LBP incurs a substantial burden over other health-related conditions [3,4]. Although LBP is more common in patients above 65 years old [5,6], it can start as early as in the late teenage years [7]. It is classified as the most expensive healthcare treatment, ranging between 12 to 90 billion dollars in the United States alone [8] and above 500 million pounds in the United Kingdom according to the nice guideline [9].…”

Effect of spinal manipulative treatment on cardiovascular autonomic control in patients with acute low back pain

“…[ 2 ]. Low back pain involves the occurrence of pain in the space between the rib cage and gluteal fold and can also be defined as acute, recurrent, or chronic episodes [ 3 ]. Low back pain symptoms can derive from many anatomic sources, such as nerve roots, muscles, fascial structures, bones, joints, intervertebral discs, and organs within the abdominal cavity [ 4 ].…”