The relationship among back injury,pain and sexual functioning

Retrospective, self-reported frequencies of pre- and post-injury sexual intercourse were compared in four back injury diagnostic groups. Comparisons were made among groups, and the relation of self-reported pain was compared to the frequency of self-reported sexual intercourse. One hundred subjects were interviewed and their medical records reviewed two years, on average, post-injury. All subjects reported a reduction in sexual frequency post-injury. The surgery group was found to experience a greater reduction in sexual frequency than non-surgery back injured patients. In addition, all subjects reported experiencing some level of pain, and the degree of reported pain was significantly correlated with reduced frequency of sexual intercourse. However, this relationship was considered clinically insignificant. The implications of these findings for individuals with chronic back pain are discussed.Private Practice, Columbia, South Carolina.