[Psychiatric, psychological, and neurological characteristics of patients with chronic low back pain]

We examined 143 patients, aged 18-65 years, with chronic low back pain, in 78 of patients diagnosed as chronic somatoform pain disorder (CSPD)--ICD-10 F45.4--and in 65 as chronic pain syndrome (CPS) caused by spine pathology (M48.0, M51.1, M54.4). Depressive symptoms predominated in CSPD patients, who exhibited more pronounced psychopathological disturbances and two-fold higher frequency of personality disorders, comparing to those with CPS. In CSPD patients pain severity and reaction to pain syndrome were significantly higher than in CPS patients. Psychodiagnostic study revealed higher expressed anxiety and depression as well as socio-psychological maladaptation in CSPD patients as compared to CPS ones. After neurological examination, significant between-group differences were found in the frequency of muscular-tonic myofacial, syndrome and iliosacral joint dysfunction.