Comparison of trunk proprioception between patients with low back pain and healthy controls.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether proprioceptive impairments exist in patients with low back pain (LBP). We hypothesized that patients with LBP would exhibit larger trunk proprioception errors than healthy controls.


METHODS
Case-control study.


METHODS
University laboratory.


METHODS
24 patients with nonspecific LBP and 24 age-matched healthy controls.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
We measured trunk proprioception in all 3 anatomical planes using motion perception threshold, active repositioning, and passive repositioning tests.


RESULTS
LBP patients had significantly greater motion perception threshold than controls (P<.001) (1.3+/-0.9 degrees vs 0.8+/-0.6 degrees ). Furthermore, all subjects had the largest motion perception threshold in the transverse plane (P<.001) (1.2+/-0.7 degrees vs 1.0+/-0.8 degrees for all other planes averaged). There was no significant difference between LBP and healthy control groups in the repositioning tasks. Errors in the active repositioning test were significantly smaller than in the passive repositioning test (P=.032) (1.9+/-1.2 degrees vs 2.3+/-1.4 degrees ).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that impairments in proprioception may be detected in patients with LBP when assessed with a motion perception threshold measure.
Lee
Angela S
AS
Department of Osteopathic Surgical Specialties, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.
Cholewicki
Jacek
J
Reeves
N Peter
NP
Zazulak
Bohdanna T
BT
Mysliwiec
Lawrence W
LW
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007699:Kinesthesis; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D011434:Proprioception; D012684:Sensory Thresholds
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