Low back pain among caregivers of spinal cord injured patients.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prevalence of low back pain among caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury and to investigate the risk factors for LBP among this population. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. SUBJECTS A total of 100 spinal cord injured patients and their caregivers, and 87 healthy control subjects. METHODS Caregivers and control subjects completed a questionnaire about demographic characteristics and low back pain. Pain was evaluated using a visual analogue scale and the Oswestry Disability Index. Duration, severity and level of spinal cord injury, and functional level were recorded. RESULTS The prevalence of low back pain was higher among caregivers than among the control group. Visual analogue scale scores of caregivers with low back pain were higher than those of the control group, whereas there was no significant difference in the Oswestry Disability Index score. There was a significant correlation between low back pain and level, severity and duration of injury. Prevalence of low back pain was higher among caregivers of patients with low functional scores. CONCLUSION Low back pain is common among caregivers of patients with spinal cord injury and is associated with duration of injury, level of injury, severity of injury, and functional level of the patient.