RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 A prospective study of primary care patients with musculoskeletal pain: the identification of predictive factors for chronicity.
JF British Journal of General Practice
JO Br J Gen Pract
FD British Journal of General Practice
SP 225
OP 227
VO 50
IS 452
A1 R G Potter
A1 J M Jones
A1 A P Boardman
YR 2000
UL http://bjgp.org/content/50/452/225.abstract
AB Primary care faces the challenge of reducing the proportion of patients continuing with musculoskeletal pain beyond the acute phase. This study assessed patients presenting in general practice with a four- to 12-week history of pain and re-assessed them 12 weeks later. Patients whose pain was described as 'none' or 'slight' were allocated to the 'acute group', and those whose pain continued to be 'moderate' or 'severe' were allocated to the 'chronic group'. Comparative analysis of the two groups' responses at initial assessment identified pain intensity, active coping score, and previous pain episode to be factors independently predictive of chronicity.