Factors predicting the transition from acute to persistent pain in people with ‘sciatica’-the FORECAST longitudinal prognostic factor cohort

Not Applicable

• Conditions: Acute/subacute sciatica/low back pain; Musculoskeletal Diseases

• Registration Number: ISRCTN18170726
• Lead Sponsor: niversity of Oxford

Brief Summary

2023 Protocol article in https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37019481/ (added 06/04/2023)

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2023-02-10
• Last Update Posted: 3 June 2024
• Study Completion: 2025-08-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Ongoing
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 180

Inclusion Criteria

1. People aged >18 years with a clinical diagnosis of ‘sciatica’
2. Sciatica symptom onset of the current episode within the past three months with a symptom-free period of at least 3 months preceding the current sciatica symptoms
3. A sum score of >4 (on the diagnostic model published by Stynes 2018) will be defined as sciatica (weighted sum score including self-reported sensory changes, below knee pain, leg pain worse than back pain, neurodynamic tests, and neurological deficit)
4. Clinical examination confirms the clinical diagnosis of sciatica and rules out other diagnoses

Exclusion Criteria

1. Presence of other nerve-related disorders (e.g. diabetic neuropathy, stroke)
2. Previous lumbar spine surgery
3. Serious spinal pathologies (e.g. infection, cauda equina syndrome, metastatic lesions)
4. Chronic inflammatory disorders
5. Other pain conditions that may confound assessment (e.g., fibromyalgia)
6. Pregnancy
7. Insufficient command of the English language to obtain consent/complete questionnaires
8. Contraindications to MRI for those selected for scanning

Study & Design

• Study Type: Observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Pain persistence measured using the below at 3 months and 12 months:<br>1. The Sciatica Bothersomeness Index20 (SBI) <br>2. A Numerical Rating Scale (NRS)