Anxiety, depression, and quality of life in backache patients before and after spinal traction

Chronic pain has a negative impact on quality of life and psychological well-being. The objectives of this study are to investigate the psychological status and quality of life in backache patients before and after spinal traction and reflect how this maneuver is effective in treating backache.

Forty-seven backache patients completed the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) and Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) before and after treatment with spinal traction. Forty-eight healthy controls, matched with patients for age and sex, completed the same questionnaires. Pain was assessed before and after the maneuver using a visual analog scale (VAS). Traction was added to patients' medications which were not enough to control patients' symptoms and did not change during the course of traction.

Before spinal traction, the mean VAS score was 7 ± 1.36, abnormal levels of anxiety and depression were found in 36.17% and 40.43%, respectively, of patients, and all SF-36 domains of the study population, except for physical functioning, showed mean scores < 50%. After spinal traction, the mean VAS score dropped significantly to 5.44 ± 1.51, abnormal levels of anxiety and depression became 14.9% and 21.3%, and all SF-36 domains improved significantly, with six of the eight domains showing mean scores > 50%. There were significant differences regarding all SF-36 domains, and anxiety and depression scores between patients and controls, in favor of controls, before traction. These differences disappeared after spinal traction.

Pain, psychological status, and quality of life improved when spinal traction was added to medications reflecting its efficacy for patients with backache.