Table 4
Comparison of key characteristics for patients diagnosed with or without sciatica
| Characteristics | Sciatica pain | Referred pain | Sig.* |
|---|---|---|---|
| n = 452 (74.2 %) | n = 157 (25.8 %) | ||
| Socio-demographics | |||
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 50.4 (14.0) | 49.4 (13.7) | 0.451 |
| Gender, Female | 276 (61.1) | 105 (66.9) | 0.194 |
| BMI | 29.9 (6.3) | 30.0 (8.7) | 0.906 |
| Current smoker | 151 (33.4) | 43 (27.4) | 0.163 |
| Back/leg pain interference with work performance, mean (SD)a | 6.0 (2.9) | 5.4 (3.0) | 0.073 |
| Self-certified time off work or given sick note due to current episode (365)a | 111 (40.8) | 33 (36.3) | 0.443 |
| Pain and function | |||
| RMDQ disability score (0–23), mean (SD) | 12.9 (5.7) | 12.0 (5.7) | 0.093 |
| Back pain intensity, mean (SD) | 5.6 (2.2) | 5.4 (2.1) | 0.413 |
| Leg pain intensity, mean (SD) | 5.6 (2.3) | 4.1 (2.3) | <0.001 |
| Pain below knee | 333 (76.6) | 61 (40.9) | <0.001 |
| Leg pain is worse | 252 (55.8) | 28 (17.8) | <0.001 |
| Sleep disturbance due to back/leg pain | 325 (72) | 103 (66) | 0.447 |
| EQ—5D summary index | 0.4 (0.3) | 0.5 (0.3) | 0.391 |
| Start Back risk score | 0.086 | ||
| Low | 53 (12.1) | 29 (19.1) | |
| Medium | 212 (48.5) | 64 (42.1) | |
| High | 172 (39.4) | 59 (38.8) | |
| Sciatica Bothersomeness Index, mean (SD) | |||
| Leg pain | 4.5 (1.4) | 3.6 (1.6) | <0.001 |
| Numbness or tingling in leg, foot or groin | 3.5 (2.0) | 2.4 (2.1) | <0.001 |
| Weakness in leg or foot | 2.8 (2.0) | 2.0 (2.1) | <0.001 |
| Back or leg pain while sitting | 4.1 (1.6) | 4.1 (1.7) | 0.084 |
| Composite score | 14.9 (5.1) | 12.2 (5.4) | <0.001 |
| S-LANSS; neuropathic pain score (≥12) | 232 (51.6) | 61 (39.0) | <0.007 |
| Psychological measures | |||
| HADs anxiety subscale | 0.023 | ||
| Mild/possible case | 86 (19.1) | 34 (21.8) | |
| Probable/moderate/severe case | 116 (25.7) | 55 (35.3) | |
| HADs depression subscale | 0.325 | ||
| Mild/possible case | 82 (18.1) | 37 (23.4) | |
| Probable/moderate/severe case | 75 (16.6) | 23 (14.7) | |
| MRI findings(553) | <0.001 | ||
| Nerve root compression | 252 (60.7) | 45 (32.4) | |
| Normal | 163 (39.3) | 94 (67.6) | |
| Neurological examination findings (609) | |||
| Muscle weakness b | <0.001 | ||
| None | 347 (76.8) | 157 (100) | |
| Mild (4) | 92 (20.4) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Severe (≤3) | 13 (2.9) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Reflex change | <0.001 | ||
| None | 341 (75.4) | 149 (94.9) | |
| Slightly reduced | 30 (6.6) | 0 (0.0) | |
| Significantly reduced | 19 (4.2) | 3 (1.9) | |
| Absent | 62 (13.7) | 5 (3.2) | |
| Sensory change | <0.001 | ||
| None | 226 (50.0) | 130 (82.8) | |
| Reduced pin/prick | 175 (38.7) | 26 (16.6) | |
| Loss to pin/prick | 51 (11.3) | 1 (0.6) | |
| Neural tension tests (any positive test) c | 324 (71.7) | 11 (7.0) | <0.001 |
aApplicable to those currently in paid job
bMuscle strength tested according to the Oxford scale where;
1. Flicker of movement
2. Through full range actively with gravity counterbalanced
3. Through full range actively against gravity
4. Through full range actively against some resistance
5. Through full range actively against strong resistance
cNeural tension tests; straight leg raise, femoral stretch, slump test
*Significance p-value for the difference between participants diagnosed as having sciatica symptoms and those diagnosed as having referred leg pain based on Chi-squared test for categorical variables and 2-sample t-test for continuous variables