Common musculoskeletal disorders in primary care physiotherapy: assessment and intervention Acute low back pain and nocturnal leg cramps Hank Hallegraeff
© 2013 Hank Hallegraeff The study presented in this thesis was performed at the SHARE Graduate School for Health Research and the Department of Health Sciences of the University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, the Netherlands, and at the Professorship of Health Care and Nursing of Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen, the Netherlands. Dissertation for the University of Groningen, the Netherlands, with references and summary in Dutch. Hank Hallegraeff Common musculoskeletal disorders in primary care physiotherapy: assessment and intervention. Dissertation University of Groningen, June 2013 ISBN/EAN: 978‐94‐6108‐445‐3 Cover and graphic design: Peter J. Reese, AAAPEX. Illustration: Sophie Reese Layout and printed by: Gildeprint Drukkerijen – Enschede, the Netherlands Acknowledgments Financial support for the printing of this thesis has been kindly provided by: ‐ Professorship of Health Care and Nursing, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen ‐ Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Research Institute SHARE ‐ Educational Center for Musculoskeletal Therapies (SOMT) ‐ Wetenschappelijk College Fysiotherapie (KNGF)
RIJKSUNIVERSITEIT GRONINGEN
Common musculoskeletal disorders in primary care physiotherapy: assessment and intervention Acute low back pain and nocturnal leg cramps
Proefschrift ter verkrijging van het doctoraat in de Medische wetenschappen aan de Rijksuniversiteit Groningen op gezag van de Rector Magnificus, dr. E. Sterken, in het openbaar te verdedigen op maandag 24 juni 2013 om 16.15 uur.
door Joannes Marinus Hallegraeff geboren op 3 november 1955 te Haarlem
Promotor:
Prof. dr. C.P. van der Schans
Copromotor(es):
Dr. M.H.G. de Greef Dr. W.P. Krijnen
Beoordelingscommissie:
Prof. dr. I. Bautmans Prof. dr. P.U. Dijkstra Prof. dr. J.W. Groothoff
Table of contents Table of contents ..................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 7 Chapter 2 Expectations about recovery from acute non‐specific low back pain predict absence from usual work due to chronic low back pain: a systematic review .................................. 21 Journal of Physiotherapy 2012 58 (3): 165‐172 Chapter 3 Measurement of acute nonspecific low back pain perception in primary care physical therapy: reliability and validity of the brief illness perception questionnaire ................... 47 BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2013, 14(1), 53 Chapter 4 A note of caution with respect to the Low Back Pain Perception Scale in primary care physiotherapy. Submitted. .................................................................................................... 69 Chapter 5 Manipulative therapy and clinical prediction criteria in treatment of acute nonspecific low back pain. ........................................................................................................................ 85 Perceptual and Motor skills, 2009, 108, 196‐208 Chapter 6 Stretching before sleep reduces the frequency and severity of nocturnal leg cramps in older adults: a randomised trial .......................................................................................... 109 Journal of Physiotherapy 2012, 58 (1): 17‐22 Chapter 7 Summary and General discussion ........................................................................................ 129
5
6
Chapter 1 Introduction
7
8
Aim A mss aand d r re ese earcch qu ue esttio on ns off t thiis th hessiss In n ph hyssiotthe erap py heaalth h ccare e, m musscu ulosskeelettal dissord derrs a are e ex xam min ned acccording to o th he In nterrnaatio onal Classificattion n o of FFunctio oniing g (IC CF)), se ee Fig gure e 1.. W With hin thee IC CF, the e im mp pactts off co onttex xtuaal f facttorrs such h aas p persson nal an nd e envviro onm men ntaal d dete erm min nan ts are e co onsside ere ed re elevvan nt forr mu muscu ulo oske eletal d diso orderss. Physical acti a ivity and wo ork k par p rticiipaatio on re epre ese entt on ne’s fun f ctio onaal h heaalth h condition n. Per P son nal (e e.g. re ecoverry eexp pecctattions an nd pe ercception o of p pain n) a and d en nviron nmenttal (e..g. wo ork loaad, so ociaal su upp porrt) facctors r rep pressen nt co onttexttuaal in nflu uen nce e. Therre i is a a co omple ex i nte eractio on be etw ween a all c com mpo one entts o of t the ICF, se ee F Figure e 1.
ure 1. I ICFF model. Figu
9
Aging and the age‐related increase of the number of patients with various musculoskeletal disorders represent a major challenge for physiotherapists in primary health care. As a consequence, reliable and valid measurement instruments are necessary to assess, diagnose and evaluate the course of musculoskeletal disorders matching the components of the ICF. The focus of the studies in this thesis is on three common musculoskeletal disorders: acute nonspecific low back pain and nocturnal leg cramps. These disorders can be present within one patient.
Acute nonspecific low back pain Nonspecific low back pain is defined as pain with a physical disorder not due to any single known cause, such as a (previous) particular pathogen or an infection whereby treatment is not directed against a particular agent (1). Nonspecific low back pain is localized below the costal margin and above the inferior gluteal folds, with or without leg pain, and not attributed to recognizable, known specific pathology or cause, e.g. infection, tumor, osteoporosis, ankylosing spondylitis, fracture, inflammatory process, radicular syndrome or cauda equina syndrome (2). Most patients experience their first episode of nonspecific low back pain between 20 and 55 years of age. Within the Dutch population, the twelve‐month period prevalence is 43.9% and point prevalence is 26.9% with the highest prevalence in the late forties (3). In western industrialized countries, the lifetime prevalence is 84% (4).
10
Nonspecific low back pain can be an acute or chronic condition. Acute nonspecific low back pain is usually defined as an episode of less than 6 weeks; sub‐acute low back pain persists between 6 and 12 weeks; and chronic low back pain persists for 12 weeks or more. Acute nonspecific low back pain may evolve into chronic nonspecific low back pain due to a number of personal factors like perception and poor recovery expectations (5,6). Negative recovery expectations are prognostic for the transition from acute to chronic nonspecific low back pain (6), however, it has not been investigated how much more risk there is on an outcome of chronic low back pain by negative recovery expectations. The recurrence rate of severe nonspecific low back pain varies from 15 % to 50% (3,7). Recurrence may strongly influence recovery expectations. Patients with less frequent recurrence may recover more quickly than patients with more frequent recurrence. Previous recovery may affect recovery expectations due to early treatment experience or inadequate pain perception (8). However, there is conflicting evidence related to the prognostic role of patients’ expectations for recovery. Several physiotherapeutic interventions are available to improve recovery and reduce the risk for recurrence. Spinal manipulation in the acute stage has moderate positive effects on pain intensity and physical activity, however, there is variation on the level of effectiveness in different studies (9,10). The choice for intervention is currently based on clinical prediction rules. Such rules contain predictor variables obtained from patient history, examination, and simple diagnostic tests. In daily practice, however, most prediction rules are complicated and not easily applicable for implementation. For
11
example, a clinical prediction rule consisting of five predictor criteria: symptoms 35 degrees inner rotation, at least one hypo mobility lumbar segment, no symptoms distal of the knee, and a FABQW score