Claudia Levenig

Körperbild und Rückenschmerz

ZusammenfassungHintergrundAls ursächlich für nichtspezifische Rückenschmerzen werden viele Aspekte diskutiert – teilweise kontrovers. Seit einigen Jahren rückt das subjektive Körperbild vermehrt in den Blickpunkt, wobei eine Einordnung der Publikationen aufgrund der oftmals unklaren Terminologie und einer Fülle von Konzepten schwerfällt. Studien belegen, dass sich das Körperbild von Rückenschmerzpatienten von dem Gesunder unterscheidet und somit Relevanz im Hinblick auf Ursachen und Therapie besitzen könnte.Ziel der ArbeitZiel der Arbeit war die Darstellung des aktuellen Forschungsstands bezüglich der Zusammenhänge von Körperbild und Rückenschmerz sowie bezüglich der Einordnung des Körperbilds in psychosoziale Ursachen von Rückenschmerz.Material und MethodenRelevante Studien zu Körperbild und Rückenschmerz wurden gesichtet und diskutiert. Es folgen Ansätze zur Integration des Körperbildkonzepts in bisherige psychosoziale Ansätze. Schließlich wird versucht darzulegen, inwieweit eine Berücksichtigung des Körperbilds in der Therapie von Rückenschmerz wertvoll sein könnte.ErgebnisseStudien belegen, dass Rückenschmerzpatienten ein negativeres Körperbild haben als Gesunde. Zur Anwendung und Wirkung von Interventionen, die bei Rückenschmerz auf das Körperbild einwirken, liegen kaum Studien vor.SchlussfolgerungenWeitergehende Studien, die das Körperbild als möglichen psychosozialen Risikofaktor berücksichtigen, sind notwendig, insbesondere Studien zu Wirkweisen von Körperbildverfahren.AbstractBackgroundMany factors seem to be causal for non-specific low back pain and are sometimes controversially discussed. Some years ago the concept of subjective body image attracted attention but due to the inconsistent use of terms and concepts it is difficult to classify publications in the literature. Studies confirmed a difference between the body images of patients with low back pain and healthy controls so that an inclusion of body image concepts could be relevant for causation and therapy.ObjectiveThis article presents an overview of the current state of research on the association between body image and low back pain and with respect to the allocation of body image in psychosocial concepts of low back pain.Material and methodsRelevant studies on body image and low back pain were reviewed and are discussed with respect to the different use of terms and concepts of body image. Moreover, an approach for integration of the body image into current psychosocial concepts and therapy of low back pain is presented. Finally, it is discussed whether consideration of the body image could be of value in the therapy of low back pain.ResultsStudies have shown that low back pain patients have a more negative body image compared to healthy controls. There is a lack of studies on clinical evidence for the application and effectiveness of interventions that influence the body image in low back pain.ConclusionFurther studies are necessary which include body image concepts as a possible psychosocial risk factor, in particular studies on the mechanism of body image procedures.

Exercise motivation and nonspecific back pain: A comparison of patients and nonpatients.

Objective: Motivation is a key variable to consider during exercise or exercise therapy of individuals with back pain. Based on organismic integration theory, this study aims to improve the understanding of exercise motivation in patients and nonpatients by evaluating the relationships between typical motivational profiles and personal characteristics, therapy parameters and pain related variables. Method: One hundred nine women and 145 men with back pain (mean age 33.3 years; 31.9% currently under the care of a physician) involved in some kind of exercise for current nonspecific back pain voluntarily participated in this study. An adapted version of the Behavioral Regulation in Sport Questionnaire was used to measure exercise motivation. Furthermore, data on pain, disability status, level of sport activity, body concept, and the type of treatment or exercise were gathered. Results: Autonomous forms of regulation were most prevalent among subjects. Of 4 motivational profiles found, 2 showed a positive pattern (29.1% highly motivated individuals, 21.7% autonomously convinced individuals), and 2 showed a more negative pattern (19.7% controlled convinced individuals, 29.5% less motivated individuals). Relationships between profiles and age, body concept, involvement in sport competition, and type of exercise were found. Conclusions: The different motivational profiles respectively reveal specific practical relevance. In particular, the controlled convinced pattern is supposed to be more maladaptive than all other profiles. The insights provided by this study supports the development of motivation-oriented treatments based on the assessment of individuals’ motivational profiles.

Evaluation of the short-term effects of recovery tools in the rehabilitation of chronic back pain: a feasibility study

Abstract Background: Recovery represents an individualised, psychological construct serving as a buffer for health complaints and back pain. Recovery might also help in reducing chronic back pain (CBP) but has not been examined within CBP rehabilitation. Aim: Testing the acute effects of recovery tools to reduce CBP and stress and to improve recovery. Methods: A longitudinal, quasi-randomised pilot study with 55 individuals on sick leave caused by CBP was conducted. The acute effects of a multimodal out-patient rehabilitation programme were evaluated, while recovery tools were conveyed within the intervention group. The control group received regular treatment. Validated psychometric questionnaires to measure CBP, stress and recovery were used. Results: Repeated measures ANOVA indicated significant reductions for Pain Intensity (p < .001, ηp2 = 0.39), Disability (p < .001, ηp2 = 0.55), Overall Stress (p = .001, ηp2 = 0.19), and a significant improvement for Overall Recovery (p = .010, ηp2 = 0.12) in both groups. A more pronounced increase for recovery was registered in the intervention group considering the descriptive values. Conclusions: Both groups displayed significant short-term improvements for CBP, stress and recovery, while the intervention group did not show statistically superior effects. Long-term intervention effects should be monitored within the programme to assess the sustainable efficacy and feasibility of the recovery tools.

Body image is more negative in patients with chronic low back pain than in patients with subacute low back pain and healthy controls

Abstract Background and aims Body image as an increasing research field has been integrated into pain research within the last years. However, research on cognitive-affective dimensions of body image dependent on different pain groups like acute/subacute and chronic pain patients, and healthy controls is still lacking. Therefore, this study aims to explore three dimensions of body image, namely self-acceptance, physical efficacy, and health in patients with low back pain and healthy controls. The present study is the first to distinguish between patients with low back pain in different stages of pain with regard to the concept of body image. In a second step we investigated the differences in exercise frequency between the three groups. Methods Seventy seven patients (53.2% female) suffering from low back pain and 57 healthy controls (42.1% female) filled in a battery of questionnaires in terms of body image, pain parameters and exercise frequency. Results Main results indicate first that patients suffering from chronic low back pain revealed a more negative body image in all three body image-dimensions than healthy controls. Second, patients suffering from subacute pain revealed a more negative body image of physical efficacy compared to the healthy controls. Conclusions Our results suggest that body image is relevant for the treatment of low back pain, because patients suffering from low back pain revealed a more negative body image than healthy controls. Implications To investigate the cognitive-affective dimensions of body image in different patient groups suffering from low back pain seems to be an important aspect for future research to improve therapy options and prevention of low back pain. Future research should also focus on improvements or on positive aspects of body image in patients with low back pain.

Stress and risk for depression in competitive athletes suffering from back pain – Do age and gender matter?†

Abstract Back pain (BP), a prominent problem for competitive athletes, is a primary reason for limitations in athletic performance and daily life restrictions. As studies on the relationship between psychological variables and BP in athletes are scarce, the aim of this study was to investigate stress and depression in competitive athletes with BP. In a cross-sectional design, data of 154 competitive athletes (51% female; Mage = 18.81 years, SDage = 5.05 years) were collected, assessing Performance stress, Socio-emotional stress, Risk for depression and Psychological well-being and the two BP parameters BP Intensity and Disability. Two multiple linear regressions were conducted to predict (1) BP Intensity and (2) Disability from Performance stress, Socio-emotional stress, Risk for depression and Psychological well-being. Multiple linear regressions demonstrated that Performance stress (β = .21, p = .01) was the only significant predictor of BP Intensity (F1,142 = 6.68, p = .01, R2 = .05), whilst Risk for depression (β = .24, p = .01) was the only significant predictor of Disability (F1,142 = 8.46, p = .01, R2 = .06). Neither gender nor age explained a significant amount of variance in the models. Study results showed that, as in the general population, the variables stress and depression are related to BP in competitive athletes. In particular, BP intensity was found to be associated with stress and BP-related disability was associated with depression, whereas age and gender showed no association with the BP parameters. A longitudinal investigation is warranted to determine the direction of the observed relationships.

Körperbild und Rückenschmerz@@@Body image and low back pain

ZusammenfassungHintergrundAls ursächlich für nichtspezifische Rückenschmerzen werden viele Aspekte diskutiert – teilweise kontrovers. Seit einigen Jahren rückt das subjektive Körperbild vermehrt in den Blickpunkt, wobei eine Einordnung der Publikationen aufgrund der oftmals unklaren Terminologie und einer Fülle von Konzepten schwerfällt. Studien belegen, dass sich das Körperbild von Rückenschmerzpatienten von dem Gesunder unterscheidet und somit Relevanz im Hinblick auf Ursachen und Therapie besitzen könnte.Ziel der ArbeitZiel der Arbeit war die Darstellung des aktuellen Forschungsstands bezüglich der Zusammenhänge von Körperbild und Rückenschmerz sowie bezüglich der Einordnung des Körperbilds in psychosoziale Ursachen von Rückenschmerz.Material und MethodenRelevante Studien zu Körperbild und Rückenschmerz wurden gesichtet und diskutiert. Es folgen Ansätze zur Integration des Körperbildkonzepts in bisherige psychosoziale Ansätze. Schließlich wird versucht darzulegen, inwieweit eine Berücksichtigung des Körperbilds in der Therapie von Rückenschmerz wertvoll sein könnte.ErgebnisseStudien belegen, dass Rückenschmerzpatienten ein negativeres Körperbild haben als Gesunde. Zur Anwendung und Wirkung von Interventionen, die bei Rückenschmerz auf das Körperbild einwirken, liegen kaum Studien vor.SchlussfolgerungenWeitergehende Studien, die das Körperbild als möglichen psychosozialen Risikofaktor berücksichtigen, sind notwendig, insbesondere Studien zu Wirkweisen von Körperbildverfahren.AbstractBackgroundMany factors seem to be causal for non-specific low back pain and are sometimes controversially discussed. Some years ago the concept of subjective body image attracted attention but due to the inconsistent use of terms and concepts it is difficult to classify publications in the literature. Studies confirmed a difference between the body images of patients with low back pain and healthy controls so that an inclusion of body image concepts could be relevant for causation and therapy.ObjectiveThis article presents an overview of the current state of research on the association between body image and low back pain and with respect to the allocation of body image in psychosocial concepts of low back pain.Material and methodsRelevant studies on body image and low back pain were reviewed and are discussed with respect to the different use of terms and concepts of body image. Moreover, an approach for integration of the body image into current psychosocial concepts and therapy of low back pain is presented. Finally, it is discussed whether consideration of the body image could be of value in the therapy of low back pain.ResultsStudies have shown that low back pain patients have a more negative body image compared to healthy controls. There is a lack of studies on clinical evidence for the application and effectiveness of interventions that influence the body image in low back pain.ConclusionFurther studies are necessary which include body image concepts as a possible psychosocial risk factor, in particular studies on the mechanism of body image procedures.

Body image and low back pain

ZusammenfassungHintergrundAls ursächlich für nichtspezifische Rückenschmerzen werden viele Aspekte diskutiert – teilweise kontrovers. Seit einigen Jahren rückt das subjektive Körperbild vermehrt in den Blickpunkt, wobei eine Einordnung der Publikationen aufgrund der oftmals unklaren Terminologie und einer Fülle von Konzepten schwerfällt. Studien belegen, dass sich das Körperbild von Rückenschmerzpatienten von dem Gesunder unterscheidet und somit Relevanz im Hinblick auf Ursachen und Therapie besitzen könnte.Ziel der ArbeitZiel der Arbeit war die Darstellung des aktuellen Forschungsstands bezüglich der Zusammenhänge von Körperbild und Rückenschmerz sowie bezüglich der Einordnung des Körperbilds in psychosoziale Ursachen von Rückenschmerz.Material und MethodenRelevante Studien zu Körperbild und Rückenschmerz wurden gesichtet und diskutiert. Es folgen Ansätze zur Integration des Körperbildkonzepts in bisherige psychosoziale Ansätze. Schließlich wird versucht darzulegen, inwieweit eine Berücksichtigung des Körperbilds in der Therapie von Rückenschmerz wertvoll sein könnte.ErgebnisseStudien belegen, dass Rückenschmerzpatienten ein negativeres Körperbild haben als Gesunde. Zur Anwendung und Wirkung von Interventionen, die bei Rückenschmerz auf das Körperbild einwirken, liegen kaum Studien vor.SchlussfolgerungenWeitergehende Studien, die das Körperbild als möglichen psychosozialen Risikofaktor berücksichtigen, sind notwendig, insbesondere Studien zu Wirkweisen von Körperbildverfahren.AbstractBackgroundMany factors seem to be causal for non-specific low back pain and are sometimes controversially discussed. Some years ago the concept of subjective body image attracted attention but due to the inconsistent use of terms and concepts it is difficult to classify publications in the literature. Studies confirmed a difference between the body images of patients with low back pain and healthy controls so that an inclusion of body image concepts could be relevant for causation and therapy.ObjectiveThis article presents an overview of the current state of research on the association between body image and low back pain and with respect to the allocation of body image in psychosocial concepts of low back pain.Material and methodsRelevant studies on body image and low back pain were reviewed and are discussed with respect to the different use of terms and concepts of body image. Moreover, an approach for integration of the body image into current psychosocial concepts and therapy of low back pain is presented. Finally, it is discussed whether consideration of the body image could be of value in the therapy of low back pain.ResultsStudies have shown that low back pain patients have a more negative body image compared to healthy controls. There is a lack of studies on clinical evidence for the application and effectiveness of interventions that influence the body image in low back pain.ConclusionFurther studies are necessary which include body image concepts as a possible psychosocial risk factor, in particular studies on the mechanism of body image procedures.