The causative pathology of chronic low back pain cannot be defined in many patients. To evaluate the relations between psychoneurotic status and chronic low back pain, the authors surveyed Minnesota Multiphasic Personal Inventory (MMPI) in the patients with chronic low back pain.

From July 1997 to December 1998, questionaire including MMPI were given to the patients who visited our Department for chronic (>6 weeks) low back pain. 50 patients (33 male, 17 female) completed MMPI. The mean age was 33.4 years (range 17-55) . MMPI scores were evaluated in two ways for each individual, mean scores of each clinical scale and two code method. Then mean scores were compared according to sex, radiating pain, radiologic abnormalities.

In total 50 patients, three scales showed mean score over 55. Those were Hs:59.1 ± 10.3, D:55.4 ± 11.2 and Hy: 59.0 ± 10.8. No significant differences were observed between the groups divided according to the sex, radiating pain, radiologic abnormalities. The two code method revealed that at least one of the neurotic triad (Hy, Hs, D) ranked within the highest two in 46 (92%) patients.

It seemed that large proportion of patients with chronic low back pain had psychological tendency to hypochondriasis and/or depression and/or hysteria. MMPI seemed to be one of the useful methods in evaluation of psychogenic factors in chronic low back pain patients without definite organic pathology.