STRESSING LIFE EVENTS AND THE EXPERIENCE OF LOW-BACK PAIN

Life-stress events, attributes of low back pain, anxiety, hostility and depression were measured in 148 patients hospitalized for evaluation and treatment of low back pain. Fifty-seven of these patients had definite organic disease, 51 had probable organic disease, and 40 had no demonstrable organic disease. The three patient groups did not differ in the occurrence of stressing events. Neither did the three groups differ in the relationship of stressing events to the intensity of pain reported. They did differ, however, in the relationship of stressing events to the type of pain reported. These results suggest that the mere occurrence of stressing events does not predispose to the development of low back pain, even among persons without evidence of organic disease. Stressing events do seem to exacerbate certain kinds of pain, however, and the kinds of pain exacerbated differ in persons with and without organic disease. © 1979.