Association Between Symptoms of Central Sensitization and Cognitive Behavioral Factors in People With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Cross-sectional Study

Objective: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the relationship between symptoms of central sensitization (CS) and important cognitive behavioral and psychosocial factors in a sample of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. Methods: Participants with chronic nonspecific low back pain for at least 3 months were included in the study. They completed several questionnaires and a functional test. Pearson's correlation was used to analyze associations between symptoms of CS and pain behavior, functioning, pain, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, and illness perceptions. Additionally, a between-group analysis was performed to compare patients with and without clinically relevant symptoms of CS. Results: Data from 38 participants were analyzed. Significant associations were found between symptoms of CS and all other outcomes, especially current pain (r = 0.510, P =.001), mean pain during the past 7 days (r = 0.505, P =.001), and pain catastrophizing (r = 0.518, P =.001). Patients with clinically relevant symptoms of CS scored significantly worse on all outcomes compared with persons without relevant symptoms of CS, except on functioning (P =.128). Conclusions: Symptoms of CS were significantly associated with psychosocial and cognitive behavioral factors. Patients exhibiting a clinically relevant degree of symptoms of CS scored significantly worse on most outcomes, compared with the subgroup of the sample with fewer symptoms of CS.