Influence of Fear-Avoidance Beliefs on Disability in Patients With Subacromial Shoulder Pain in Primary Care: A Secondary Analysis

T.O. Kromer*, J.M. Sieben, R.A. de Bie, C.H.G. Bastiaenen

*Corresponding author for this work

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Abstract

BACKGROUND: Little information exists about the role of fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing in subacromial pain syndrome. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among pain, catastrophizing, fear, and disability and the contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to disability at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. DESIGN: A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis was conducted. METHODS: Baseline demographic and clinical data, including fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing, of 90 patients were assessed for this analysis. Disability was measured with the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. First, bivariate and partial correlations were calculated among pain, fear-avoidance beliefs, catastrophizing, and disability, based on the fear-avoidance model. Second, the contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to disability at baseline and at 3-month follow-up was examined with hierarchical regression analyses. RESULTS: Correlations between clinical variables and disability were largely in line with the fear-avoidance model. Regression analyses identified a significant contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to baseline disability but not to disability at 3 months. LIMITATIONS: Patients with subacromial pain syndrome were studied; therefore, the results should be transferred with caution to other diagnoses. A modified version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire was used, which was not validated for this patient group. CONCLUSIONS: Fear-avoidance beliefs contribute significantly to baseline disability but not to disability change scores after 3-month follow-up. Duration of complaints and baseline disability were the main factors influencing disability change scores. Although the results help to improve understanding of the role of fear-avoidance beliefs, further studies are needed to fully understand the influence of psychological and clinical factors on the development of disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1775-1784
JournalPhysical Therapy
Volume94
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2014

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