Prevalence of urnary and faecal incontinence in men and women with chronic low back pain

The purpose of this exploratory study was to estimate the prevalence of urinary and faecal incontinence among women and men with chronic pain attending a rural clinic and make a comparison with corresponding Australian community estimates. A questionnaire was distributed to a cross-sectional cohort of people diagnosed with chronic pain who attended an outpatient clinic during a 12-month period. Data collection included pain information and symptom scores for urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence using the Urinary Distress Inventory Short Form-6 and the Wexner/Cleveland Clinic Faecal Incontinence Score. Prevalence rates for incontinence were compared to general community rates. Fisher’s exact test determined associations between variables. A total of 81 participants enrolled in the study. Urinary incontinence was reported by 65% [CI=54.6–74.9] of all participants compared with 24% [CI=23–26] of the general Australian population. Faecal incontinence rate was 48% [CI=37.7–58.9], compared with 8% [CI=7–9] of the population data. Low back pain (reported by 81% of participants) was strongly associated with urinary incontinence (p=0.006) and faecal incontinence (p=0.004). Chronic pain experienced in areas other than the low back was not associated with an increase in urinary or faecal incontinence. Participants who experienced chronic low back pain reported a significantly higher prevalence of urinary and faecal incontinence than rates in the general Australian population. Clinicians may consider routine screening of people who experience chronic low back pain for symptoms of incontinence.