Low back pain: Reliability of a set of pain measurement tools

Objectives: To determine the reliability and internal consistency of a set of low back pain (LBP)-related measurement tools and to determine whether they are appropriate for use in a large-scale, community-based sample in Israel. Design: Test-retest reliability study, with an interval of 2 to 14 days between test and retest. Setting: Physiotherapy clinics. Participants: One hundred fifty-one patients with LBP. Main Outcome Measures: The Modified Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (MRMQ); a simple verbal pain severity scale; and modified pain symptoms frequency and bothersomeness indices. Three measures of variables with potential association with LBP were also used: a Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), work satisfaction scale, and the Baecke Physical Activity Questionnaire (BPAQ). Results: Test-retest reliability was high for the MRMQ, pain symptom indices, work index of the FABQ, and occupational activity index of the BPAQ; the internal consistency of the MRMQ and FABQ work index were also high (intraclass correlation coefficient ≥ .89; α = .89). Conclusions: Most measurement tools are reliable and suitable for community LBP studies in Israel.