Postural Stability during Seven Different Standing Tasks in Persons with Chronic Low Back Pain - A Cross-sectional Study

Background

Proprioceptive impairments reflected by poor joint position sense have been identified in persons with Low Back Pain (LBP) and thus leading to impaired postural control.

Aim

To evaluate the postural stability during seven different standing tasks in persons with CLBP compared to persons without LBP.

Setting

Movement Science Lab.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods and Material

A force plate was used to measure the Centre of Pressure (COP) excursion in antero-posterior (A-P) and medial-lateral (M-L) directions in persons with CLBP (n = 20) and normal subjects (n = 20) for 7 different standing tasks with eyes opened and closed.

Statistical Analysis

Independent t test and Mann - Whitney U test were used based on the normality assumption for comparing the COP excursion between CLBP and normal subjects.

Results

The CLBP group showed statistically significant increase in COP excursion for normal standing with eyes opened (NSEO) [P = 0.000], normal standing with eyes closed (NSEC) [95% CI = 0.39, 0.66; P = 0.000], tandem standing with eyes opened (TSEO) [P = 0.000], tandem standing with eyes closed (TSEC) [P = 0.000], foam standing with eyes opened (FSEO) [P = 0.0001], foam standing with eyes closed (FSEC) [95% CI = 0.56,1.05; P = 0.000], and one leg standing (OLS) [95% CI = 0.07,0.47; P = 0.010] as compared to normal subjects.

Conclusion

There was an increase in postural sway among the persons with CLBP compared to that of the normal individuals in all the 7 different standing tasks.