Low Back Pain in Diabetes Mellitus and Importance of Preventive Approach

Background: Musculoskeletal pain is known to be a common problem in diabetic patients. Inspite of this fact, there is little information about epidemiology aspect of Low Back Pain (LBP)and necessity of taking preventive approach in diabetic patients. The aim of this study was to determinethe prevalence of LBP in diabetic patients and its comparison with non-diabetic subjects.Methods: Low back pain frequency was examined among 317 diabetic patients referred to endocrineclinic, Sina Hospital, Tabriz city, Iran during 3 months interval. The control group included100 participants who were parents of students of Tabriz University. All participants were asked tofill out a questionnaire including Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and Face PainScale (FPS).Result: Of the 317 diabetic patients, 63.4% (201) reported LBP while in non-diabetic group was47% (47).The average functional disability in diabetic group was 9 while in control group was 7.Inter-correlation between low back pain intensity scale and functional disability were significant(r=0.52, P<0.01).Discussion: Low back pain is a common problem in diabetic patients in terms of intensity, frequencyand functional level of disability.