Prevalence of Self-Reported Low Back Pain among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Preliminary Survey

Background : Low Back Pain (LBP) is increasingly becoming a major health concern among patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) who are often times managed primarily for their diabetic related problems at the expense of other musculoskeletal conditions. Objective : This preliminary survey aimed to determine if prevalence of self-reported LBP (srLBP) and disability in patients with T2DM was comparable to that of patients without T2DM. Design : Cross-sectional study. Methods : Socio-demographic and clinical data were obtained from 143 patients with T2DM receiving treatment at Federal Medical Centre, Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. The twelve month and point prevalence of srLBP was thereafter compared between the 143 individuals with T2DM and 143 age and sex matched apparently healthy controls. Pain intensity, disability and care-seeking practices for LBP were then compared between T2DM patients with srLBP and their age and sex matched non-diabetic patients with srLBP. Results : Twelve months and point prevalence of srLBP was higher among patients with T2DM (46.2%, 41.3%) than their age and sex matched non-diabetic counterparts (31.5%, 12.6%). Compared with nondiabetic patients, those with T2DM reported higher disability scores (U =1029.0, p =0.001) despite reporting lower pain intensities (4.15±2.15 vs. 4.75±0.76, p= 0.05). Conclusion : Low back pain should be accorded necessary attention when treating patients with T2DM. Keywords : Low back pain, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Prevalence