Answerability and Minimal Clinical Significance of the Pain Questionnaires

Answerability and Minimal Clinical Significance of the Turkish Versions of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale, and Pain Catastrophizing Scales in Patients With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

To investigate the reliability and sensitivity of the Turkish versions of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, and The Pain Catastrophizing Scale in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain undergoing multidisciplinary rehabilitation.

Nonspecific chronic low back pain is a common condition that can have a significant impact on patient's daily lives and beliefs. Patients often believe that there is a strong relationship between structural changes in the lower back, pain, and activities of daily living. Patients with nonspecific low back pain may have lower expectations for recovery because they tend to believe that their condition is chronic and unlikely to improve significantly. Patients' beliefs and perceptions of their condition can influence the clinical management of low back pain. Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and The Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) are commonly used in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. The common feature of these scales is that they evaluate issues such as pain perception, pain-related beliefs, and pain coping strategies. The use of these scales can provide important information to better respond to individuals' needs in pain management and rehabilitation processes. However, the minimal clinical relevance and answerability of the surveys were not explicitly discussed in the search results. Further research is needed to investigate the clinical consequences of fear-avoidance beliefs and their potential impact on treatment outcomes for patients with chronic low back pain.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Getting diagnosed with chronic non-specific low back pain
• Being able to read and speak Turkish
• Being between the ages of 18 and 65
• Agreeing to participate in the research and signing the voluntary consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of systemic disease
• Cognitive impairment status (Mini-Mental State Examination <24),
• Recent (<12 weeks) history of myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident
• Presence of radiculopathy, infection, tumor, osteoporosis, vertebral fracture, trauma and surgery in the lumbar region
• Having previously received any exercise therapy and/or training in pain neuroscience.
• Refusal of treatment or failure to comply with treatment