Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for low-back-pain disability.
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- Pain intensity
- 3
- Personal care (washing, dressing)
- 3
- Lifting
- 3
- Walking
- 3
- Sitting
- 3
- Standing
- 3
- Sleeping
- 3
- Sex life (if applicable)
- 3
- Social life
- 3
- Travelling
- 3
Result: ODI 60% — severe disability.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Score
- ten sections each 0-5; ODI% = round(sum / (5 × sections answered) × 100), a variable denominator so an omitted section drops the divisor by 5.
- Grades
- 0-20% minimal disability, 21-40% moderate, 41-60% severe, 61-80% crippled, 81-100% bed-bound (Fairbank’s original percentage grades).
What you enter
- Pain intensity (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Personal care (washing, dressing) (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Lifting (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Walking (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Sitting (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Standing (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Sleeping (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Sex life (if applicable) (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Social life (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
- Travelling (0 none to 5 maximum disability; omit to exclude from the denominator)
How this is calculated
Fairbank JC, Pynsent PB. The Oswestry Disability Index. Spine. 2000;25(22):2940-2952. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.