Association of Pain Intensity, Duration, and Aggravating Factors in Low Back Pain Patients

A common musculoskeletal ailment that impairs everyday functioning and quality of life is low back pain. Objective: To investigate the association of pain intensity, duration, and aggravating factors with functional limitations in patients with low back pain. Methods: Due to logistical limitations, a convenience sample of 162 patients with low back pain below the Cochran-calculated minimum of 384 was used in a cross-sectional descriptive study at The University of Lahore Teaching Hospital. Individuals between the ages of 18 and 50 who had a positive SLR test were selected. A standardized questionnaire that covered demographics, pain characteristics, and the Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS) was used to gather data. Shapiro-Wilk normality testing was used to report quantitative data as mean ± SD or median [IQR], and qualitative data as frequencies (%). While t-tests, Pearson's correlation, or Mann-Whitney U tests evaluated relationships between pain intensity and functional limitation, descriptive statistics provided a summary of demographics. Analysis was done using SPSS version 23.0, and significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The majority of the 162 participants were women between the ages of 36 and 45. They often had moderate to severe agonising pain that got worse when they walked and in the morning, and the best relief came from rest and physical therapy. Conclusions: Functional ability and pain levels are greatly impacted by low back pain, especially in women. The most impacted activity was walking, and the best way to recover was to relax.