ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2013
Does a patient's physical activity predict recovery from an episode of acute low back pain? A prospective cohort study.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 27 citations in OpenAlex.
- The clinical course of acute, subacute and persistent low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2024Pooled it
- Prognostic factors for disability and sick leave in patients with subacute non-malignant pain: a systematic review of cohort studies.BMJ open · 2016Pooled it
- Trial
- Change in physical activity level and clinical outcomes in older adults with knee pain: a secondary analysis from a randomised controlled trial.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2018Trial
- A study on the implementation of dual career at European higher education institutions: the student-athletes' and experts' views.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2025Article
- Association between spinal disorders and different domains of physical activity among young adult men.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2022Article
- Cohort profile: the AUstralian Twin BACK pain and physical activity study (AUTBACK study).BMJ open · 2020Article
- Efficacy of different load intensity and time-under-tension calf loading protocols for Achilles tendinopathy (the LOADIT trial): protocol for a randomised pilot study.Pilot and feasibility studies · 2020Article
- Article
- Psychosocial factors associated with change in pain and disability outcomes in chronic low back pain patients treated by physiotherapist: A systematic review.SAGE open medicine · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 5 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAdvice to remain active and normalisation of activity are commonly prescribed in the management of low back pain (LBP). However, no research has assessed whether objective measurements of physical activity predict outcome and recovery in acute low back pain.
methodThe aims of this study were to assess the predictive relationship between activity and disability at 3 months in a sub-acute LBP population. This prospective cohort study recruited 101 consenting patients with sub-acute LBP (< 6 weeks) who completed the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), the Visual Analogue Scale, and resumption of full 'normal' activity question (Y/N), at baseline and 3 months. Physical activity was measured for 7 days at both baseline and at 3 months with an RT3 accelerometer and a recall questionnaire.
resultsObserved and self-reported measures of physical activity at baseline and change in activity from baseline to 3 months were not independent predictors of RMDQ (p > 0.05) or RMDQ change (p > 0.05) over 3 months. A self-report of a return to full 'normal' activities was significantly associated with greater RMDQ change score at 3 months (p < 0.001). Paired t-tests found no significant change in activity levels measured with the RT3 (p = 0.57) or the recall questionnaire (p = 0.38) from baseline to 3 months.
conclusionsThese results question the predictive role of physical activity in LBP recovery, and the assumption that activity levels change as LBP symptoms resolve. The importance of a patient's perception of activity limitation in recovery from acute LBP was also highlighted.
trial registrationClinical Trial Registration Number, ACTRN12609000282280.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.