Back Pain in Adolescents: Characteristics, Quality of Life, and Drug Self-Management: A Cross-Sectional Study of 1301 Italian Students.

OBJECTIVES: Back pain is one of the major problems for the public health system in the western world. The purposes of this study were to assess back pain in a large cohort of adolescents; to evaluate the prevalence, intensity, and features; and obtain information about drug management of this symptom. METHODS: One thousand four hundred seventy-one healthy students aged 14 to 19 years were enrolled in the study. The subjects underwent a face-to-face interview using an ad hoc questionnaire, the Numeric Rating Scale, the Neuropathic Pain Symptom Inventory, and the Short-Form 36 questionnaire. RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of adolescents reported moderate to severe pain, with a higher prevalence of moderate/severe pain in female. The intensity of pain was higher (P < 0.001) in females than in men. A correlation was found between pain and quality of life. Considering the adolescents with severe pain, 21.6% requested a doctor's opinion, and 18% used analgesics (63.2% of them without a doctor's prescription), with a frequency of about 2 times per month. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the prevalence of back pain in adolescents is very high, with the consequences on quality of life, and it becomes frequently a self-managed symptom. This should encourage research on the causes of pain in order to limit the risk factors underlying the pain development and obtain a good prevention strategy.

Effects of rehabilitation on quality of life in patients with chronic stroke.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of rehabilitation on disability and quality of life (QoL) in patients with chronic stroke. RESEARCH DESIGN: This is an observational, prospective and multidimensional study. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Sixty-six consecutive inpatients were enrolled. A rehabilitation programme of 2 months consisting of six exercise periods per week was performed. An impairment of cognitive function was the exclusion criteria for patient enrolment. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: European Stroke Scale, Barthel Index, Modified Rankin Scale, Deambulation Index and SF-36 were performed both before and after rehabilitation. A short-term follow-up (2 months after discharge) was performed by phone administration of SF-36. Significant improvement in clinical and disability measurements was observed after rehabilitation. For QoL, a significant improvement was observed both in physical function and in social function immediately after rehabilitation. At follow-up the social function improvement was maintained, while physical function improvement was lost. CONCLUSIONS: The data show that rehabilitation in patients with chronic stroke lessens disability and improves physical and social function and that repeated cycles of treatment are needed to maintain the level of improvement reached.