Trend of low back pain assessment in Japan

Abstract

This paper describes the recent trends regarding low back pain (LBP) assessment in Japan. We evaluated the LBP assessment modalities presently in use in a LBP-related study (an abstract) published by the Journal of the Japanese Spine Research Society for the past five years (from 2000 to 2004). The LBP assessment modalities were thus classified into the following types: the JOA score, pain measurement, the functional status, and psychological factors. We investigated the ratio of these modalities in the object abstract total number. JOA score was 73.6%, while pain measurement was 45%, the functional status was 8.4%, and psychological factors were 3.0%. During the period from 1989 to 1998 years, the JOA score was 97.6%. A recent trend in the LBP assessment in Japan was thus found to be increased use of a multidimensional LBP assessment with the exception of the JOA score.