Association between radicular low back pain and constipation: a retrospective cohort study using a real-world national database.

The study hypothesis can be refuted given that the OR approximated the null in a large propensity-matched sample. Patients with LSR have equivalent odds of constipation compared with those with nonradicular LBP, suggesting that LSR is not a direct cause of constipation. The similar risk of constipation between cohorts could be explained by factors common to LBP in general, such as pain severity, physical inactivity, and constipating medications.