Comparison of lumbopelvic movement pattern in people with and without low back pain during stair descending task

Abstract

Background: Decreased lumbar spine control may be associated with early and/or excessive lumbopelvic motion with trunk and lower extremity movementsduring functional and daily activities. This study investigated differences inlumbopelvic movement patterns in people with and without low back pain(LBP) during a stair descending (SD) task.Methods: A total of 36 subjects, 18 females with non-specific chronic low backpain (NSCLBP) and 18 healthy females, participated in this study. A threedimensionalmotion capture system was used to record kinematics during theSD task.Results: The results showed that in the LBP group, the start-time of the lumbarmuscles occurred early in the movement (P=0.015). Additionally, subjects withLBP showed excessive lumbar spine and pelvic movement during the SD task(P<0.05).Conclusion: LBP patients make early and excessive lumbopelvic movementsduring a SD task, and this can be an important factor contributing to thedevelopment or persistence of their LBP problem. This finding should beconsidered by clinicians when evaluating functional tasks as part of movementbasedexaminations and rehabilitation programs for people with LBP.