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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a method for collecting data concerning low back pain (LBP) using daily text messages and to characterize the reported LBP in terms of intensity, variability, and episodes.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a cohort study of LBP among workers used by a mining company. The participants were asked to answer the question "How much pain have you had in your lower back in the last 24 hours on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 = no pain and 10 = the worst pain imaginable" once a day for 5 weeks, with this process being repeated 6 months later.

RESULTS: A total of 121 workers participated in the first period of data collection, and 108 participated in the second period. The daily response rate was 93% for both periods, and cluster analysis was shown to be a feasible statistical method for clustering LBP into subgroups of low, medium, and high pain. The daily text messages method also worked well for assessing the episodic nature of LBP.

CONCLUSION: We have demonstrated a method for repeatedly measuring of LBP using daily text messages. The data permitted clustering into subgroups and could be used to define episodes of LBP.

The aim of this study was to evaluatethe test-retest reliability of theSwedish version of the ShoulderRating Questionnaire - SRQ-S.This self-rating scale comprises21 questions, divided into sevenweighted domains concerninghealth, pain, daily activities, recreationaland athletic activities, work,satisfaction and areas for improvement.The Shoulder Rating Questionnairewas fi rst translated intoSwedish and slightly adapted. Itwas then sent twice to 38 patientswith clinically stable shoulder disordersat an Orthopaedic Clinicin Sweden. The majority of theanswers were identical or almostidentical on both occasions. Theagreement of the total score wasexcellent (both rs and ICC=0.97).All domains, except ‘recreationaland athletic activities’, also showedan excellent agreement (rs 0.90-0.97, ICC 0.88-0.97). Individualquestions resulted in a very highweighted Kappa value for sevenof the questions (0.81-1.0), elevenquestions with a substantial value(0.61-0.80) and three moderatevalues (0.41-0.60). We concludethat the questions posed wereeasily understood and answeredand that the SRQ–S is test-retestreliable. These qualities wouldmake it a useful instrument for theassessment of the outcome of treatmentof shoulder disorders.