Can numerical pain rating scale and pain catastrophic scale predict lumbar radiculopathy?

Abstract

Introduction: We wanted to investigate the relationship between the severity of pain and pain catastrophizing and Lasegue sign in patients with mechanical low back pain. Methods: Three hundred and forty-five people with low back pain were divided into two groups as positive and negative according to the Lasegue sign. Numerical rating scale for pain (NRS-P) and pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) were administered to the participants and the predictive power of these tests for the Lasegue sign was investigated. Results: The scores of both scales were found to be statistically significantly higher in the Lasegue positive group compared to the negative group. In the simple logistic regression analysis, it was determined that NRS-P and PCS could significantly predict Lasegue test positivity. Discussion and Conclusion: It has been determined that NRS-P and PCS are tools that can be used for the presence of lumbar radiculopathy. The results of our study revealed that psychological factors such as catastrophizing are also important in the perception of pain, and it would be beneficial for clinicians to consider this situation while managing the treatment process