Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
A 10-section self-reported questionnaire measuring back pain–related disability.
By Claire White
- Self-administered; approximately 5 minutes.
- 10 sections: pain intensity, personal care, lifting, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, social life, travelling, and changing degree of pain.
- Each section scored 0 to 5; total expressed as a percentage (0–100%). Higher percentages indicate greater disability.
- Disability bands: 0–20% minimal, 21–40% moderate, 41–60% severe, 61–80% crippling, 81–100% bed-bound or exaggeration.
- Reference information. It does not diagnose.
What it measures
The ODI asks about ten areas of daily functioning affected by back pain: the intensity of pain, ability to manage personal care, ability to lift, walking tolerance, sitting tolerance, standing tolerance, sleep quality, social life, travelling, and changes in the degree of pain. Each section has 6 statements rated 0 (no limitation) to 5 (maximum limitation).
What the result tells you
The total score is calculated as (sum / 50) × 100, yielding a percentage. The percentage maps to a disability band. The ODI is the most widely used outcome measure in clinical trials for lumbar spine conditions and is sensitive to treatment-related change. A minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of 10 percentage points is commonly cited.
Evidence, psychometrics and provenance
Psychometrics
- Test-retest reliability
- ICC = 0.84–0.99
- Minimum clinically important difference
- 10 percentage points