Table 2 Patient characteristics
| Â | mean (n) |
|---|---|
Number of patients | 36 |
women: men | 22:14 |
Age (years) | 48 ± 2.0 |
minimum-maximum | 29–72 |
Duration of pain ± SEM (months) | 74 ± 17.4 |
minimum-maximum | 4–480 |
Diagnoses | n (%)* |
Degenerative and other non-inflammatory spinal column diseases: | Â |
Cervical disease: cervicovertebral syndrome | 8 (26) |
   cervicospondylogenic syndrome | 6 (19) |
   cervical compression syndrome | 0 (0) |
Thoracic disease: thoracovertebral syndrome | 0 (0) |
   thoracospondylogenic syndrome | 1 (3) |
   thoracic compression syndrome | 0 (0) |
Lumbar disease: lumbovertebral syndrome | 12 (39) |
   lumbar spondylogenic syndrome | 6 (19) |
   radicular compression syndrome | 2 (6) |
State following disc surgery / discopathy | 7 (23) |
Osteochondrosis | 1 (3) |
Soft tissue rheumatism | 3 (10) |
Systemic inflammatory joint and spinal column diseases | 3 (10) |
Osteoporosis | 1 (3) |
Other origins: constitutional weakness of connective tissue (ligament insufficiency) | 1 (3) |
Somatisation disorder, impairment of coping with pain | 10 (32) |
Psychogenic problems (depression, phobia, migraine, etc.) | 8 (26) |
Psychogenic stress disorders | 5 (16) |
Various reasons for premature discontinuation of IOPP: | Â |
   • Incompatible ideas on concept of pain program |  |
   • Work overload |  |
   • Severe pain |  |
   • Physician prescribed exclusion (e.g. following acquired disc hernia) |  |