Correlation of Chronic Back Pain and Hyperuricemia, Our Hospital Experience

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of hyperuricemia in individuals with chronic low back pain.

Methodology: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study performed between January 2021 to June 2021 in Medicine department of Bilawal Medical College LUMHS Jamshoro Pakistan. Patients between the age of 18 to 65 years have been investigated. Data was collected using a designed questionnaire. X-rays and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of the lumbosacral spine were used to evaluate any discrepancies associated with low back pain. The levels of uric acid in the blood were measured and documented.

Results: Out of 88 patients with chronic low back pain, 22 (25%) reported hyperuricemia. There was no significant difference in uric acid levels between men and women (P>0.05). We observed that 86.36 %t (n=19) patients with elevated serum uric acid levels also experienced joint pain. Further radiological examination revealed lumbar disc prolapse in 72.7 % (n=16). We found that in 95.45% of the patients, disc space narrowing was present.

Conclusion: Regardless of gender, one in four people with low back pain had hyperuricemia. Patients with low back pain have varying occupational and co-morbidities. Hypouricemia appears to be associated with lumbar disc prolapse and lumbar vertebral joint space constriction. This reveals that hyperuricemia aggravates degenerative spondylolisthesis.