Article

PURPOSE: To explore the change in kinesiophobia in relation to activity
limitation after a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme in patients with
chronic back pain. METHOD: A prospective cohort study was made including 265
patients. Data were collected at baseline, after rehabilitation, and at 6-months
follow-up. Outcome measures were the Tampa Scale for kinesiophobia (TSK) and the
disability rating index (DRI). The smallest detectable change (SDC) in TSK was
set to 8 scores. Relationships between kinesiophobia and activity
limitation/physical ability were explored with regard to subgroups with high,
medium and low baseline TSK scores, and for those patients who did or did not
reach the SDC in TSK. RESULTS: Improvements in TSK showed high effect sizes in
the groups with high and medium baseline TSK scores. Improvements in DRI showed
medium effect sizes in all three TSK subgroups. One third of the patients reached
the SDC in TSK, and this group also improved significantly more in DRI. The
correlation between change in TSK and change in DRI was low. Half of the patients
with high TSK score at baseline remained having high DRI at follow-up.
CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in physical ability was not related to the initial
degree of kinesiophobia but to the SDC in TSK. To prevent patients with high
kinesiophobia from preserving high activity limitations, it might be useful to
include targeted treatment of kinesiophobia.

Langue : ANGLAIS