Table 1 Demographic and baseline questionnaire data.

From: Feeling stiffness in the back: a protective perceptual inference in chronic back pain

Demographic variables

Study 1a and 1b

Study 2

CLBP & stiffness (n = 15)

Healthy controls (n = 15)

p-value

CLBP & stiffness (n = 10)

Healthy controls (n = 10)

p-value

Age (years)

27.1 (8.3)

28.9 (8.3)

0.54

23.4 (4.8)

25.7 (5.4)

0.33

Gender

11M, 4F

10M, 5F

0.69

7M, 3F

6M, 4F

0.64

Height (cm)

176.5 (11.1)

170.2 (11.1)

0.14

176.0 (11.2)

170.5 (13.5)

0.33

Weight (kg)

74.5 (16.5)

73.5 (15.3)

0.85

73.1 (16.5)

71.3 (13.3)

0.80

Current pain

34.3 (15.5)

1.2 (2.2)

<0.001

16.5 (18.4)

0.6 (1.6)

0.02

Avg pain last 48 hrs

36.7 (16.8)

0.6 (1.4)

<0.001

23.0 (17.7)

0.6 (1.6)

0.003

Duration of pain (years)

6.4 (5.1)

n/a

n/a

6.2

n/a

n/a

Current stiffness

43.0 (17.2)

2.0 (2.4)

<0.001

20.8 (16.8)

1.2 (2.1)

0.005

Avg stiffness last 48 hrs

41.3 (19.3)

2.3 (3.7)

<0.001

26.8 (19.2)

1.7 (3.3)

0.003

Body drawing (count)

 •  Complete/accurate

2

7

0.046

1

4

0.12

 •  Incomplete/inaccurate

13

8

9

6

Modified ODQ

31.2 (15.7)

1.3 (2.5)

<0.001

22.0 (9.7)

0.4 (0.8)

<0.001

Back Beliefs Questionnaire:

   Inevitability

29.9 (6.6)

29.9 (5.5)

0.77

20.3 (16.0)

20.9 (15.6)

0.74

State STAI-short form:

   Pre-testing

11.0 (4.0)

7.9 (1.7)

0.01

10.7 (4.1)

8.3 (2.1)

0.13

   Post-testing

9.9 (3.4)

7.6 (1.6)

0.03

10.4 (3.7)

7.7 (1.9)

0.06

  1. All values are mean (SD) unless otherwise specified. Pain and stiffness measures rated using a 0–100 numerical rating scale (NRS), where higher values represent more pain/stiffness. Body image drawings of the back assessed perception of the back32 and were coded as either complete/accurate or incomplete (missing parts of the back) or inaccurate (large deviations in drawing of the back). Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ) has a minimum score of 0 and a total possible score of 100, higher scores represent higher levels of disability67. Back Beliefs Questionnaire has a minimum score of 9 and maximum score of 45 where lower scores represent increased negativity in back beliefs68. Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) short form has a minimum score of 6 and a maximum score of 24; higher scores indicate higher levels of state anxiety69.
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