title: Deterministic accessory spinal movement in functional tasks characterizes individuals with low back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To apply a novel method to assess the characteristics of spinal movement in subjects with low back pain (LBP) in a functional task.
  
  
  METHODS
  17 subjects suffering from chronic non-specific LBP (average pain intensity: 1.8±1.6), and 17 age and gender matched controls performed a repetitive lifting task. Spinal movement was recorded using a novel sensor strip with 12 angle sensors recording the spinal dynamics in evenly spaced (25mm) locations along the spine. Recurrence quantification analysis was applied to different components of the angles to assess the structure of its variability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mechanically, the LBP and control group performed the task similarly. Reported pain increased in the LBP group, yet task-related angular movement was not different. However, the percentage of determinism for the accessory angular movement (movement variability not directly related to task execution) was significantly higher for the LBP group, indicating a more deterministic (less random) structure of the muscle activation pattern variability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The structure of the variability of spinal movement differs in subjects with chronic non-specific LBP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The determinism of accessory spinal movement may be a useful measure for evaluation of movement impairment in LBP and for monitoring rehabilitation effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Dideriksen
authors.affiliation: Pain Clinic, Center for Anesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gizzi
authors.affiliation: Pain Clinic, Center for Anesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petzke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurorehabilitation Engineering, Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany; Pain Clinic, Center for Anesthesiology, Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany. Electronic address: deborah.falla@bccn.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Falla
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012008:Recurrence; D013131:Spine / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis
keywords: Low back pain; Movement analysis; Recurrence quantification analysis