Effects of fear of movement on spine velocity and acceleration after recovery from low back pain.
METHODS
A cross-sectional assessment of the association between pain-related fear and joint motions and their higher order derivatives in 88 participants recently recovered from an episode of low back pain.


OBJECTIVE
To determine how the psychological construct of pain-related fear maps to motor behavior in standardized reaching tasks.


BACKGROUND
Pain-related fear is a significant predictor of avoidance behavior and occupational disability in individuals with low back pain. However, it is not currently known how pain-related fear maps to motor behavior.


METHODS
Participants were tested at 4 weeks (+/-2 weeks) after resolution of a recent episode of back pain. Participants performed reaching tasks at comfortable and fast-paced movement speeds to 3 targets (high, middle, low) located in a midsagittal plane. Three-dimensional joint motions of the thoracic spine, lumbar spine, and hip were recorded using an electromagnetic tracking device. Group differences in joint excursions, peak velocities, and accelerations were assessed using 2-group (high pain-related fear, low pain-related fear) x 2-hand (left, right) x 2-movement speed (comfortable-pace, fast-pace) x 3-target height (high, middle, low) multivariate analyses of variances.


RESULTS
Individuals with high pain-related fear had smaller peak velocities and accelerations of the lumbar spine and hip joints for the fast-pace reaching trials.


CONCLUSIONS
The present study provides important evidence that pain-related fear is a robust construct that clearly maps on to differences in peak velocity and acceleration of the lumbar spine even after resolution of back pain.
Thomas
James S
JS
School of Physical Therapy, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA. thomasj5@ohiou.edu
France
Christopher R
CR
Lavender
Steven A
SA
Johnson
Monica R
MR
D000054:Acceleration; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009068:Movement; D020127:Recovery of Function; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000502:physiology*