چکیده (انگلیسی):

Background:The pathological mechanisms of lumbar spinal stenosis are unclear. Family doctors in the primary
care setting may perform medical examinations of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Our aim was to use the
painDETECT questionnaire to quantify the pathological mechanisms of low back pain and/or leg pain caused by
lumbar spinal stenosis.
Methods:We enrolled 102 patients (37 men, 65 women) who had been newly diagnosed with lumbar spinal
stenosis at 2 facilities. The patients’ conditions were evaluated using the painDETECT questionnaire, Numerical
Rating Scale, Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation
Questionnaire, and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. The pathological mechanisms of low back pain and/or
leg pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis were classified based on results of the painDETECT questionnaire as
nociceptive pain, neuropathic pain, or unclear type of pain (mixed pain). Statistical analyses were performed
using the Kruskal–Wallis test. A value ofp< 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.
Results:The mean age of all patients in this study was 70.3 ± 2 years. The male:female distribution was 37:65
(36.3:63.7 %). In all, 72 (70.6 %) patients had chronic pain (duration of ≥3 months), and 30 (29.4 %) had subacute
or acute pain (duration of <3 months). The pain was classified as nociceptive in 59 patients (57.9 %), neuropathic in
18 (17.6 %), and unclear in 25 (24.5 %). The neuropathic pain group had a significantly lower quality of life (p<0.05)
than did the other groups.
Conclusions:Patients with neuropathic back and/or leg pain caused by lumbar spinal stenosis may have lower
physical and/or psychological quality of life than patients with such pain caused by other mechanisms.