Associations between lumbar range of motion, pain and function in patients with chronic low back pain

Abstract

Study design: A prospective correlational study, based on change data and cross-sectional data. Background and objectives: There is limited research on the relationship between outcome measures of lumbar range of motion, pain and function. The aim was to assess the interrelationship between these measures in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods: Data originated from a study on patients with chronic low back pain (n = 49) who went through a physiotherapy intervention for eight weeks. Lumbar motion was measured as lumbar flexion by Schobers test, pain by Visual Analogue Scale) and function by Oswestry Disability Index pre and post intervention. Associations were investigated by correlational analyses (Pearson’s r (r)) made on change scores and cross-sectional scores of lumbar motion, function and pain. Results: The analyses did not find any association between lumbar flexion and pain, (r = 0.23, p = 0.19). A weak association was found between lumbar flexion and function (r = 0.29, p = 0.045). The association between pain and function was strong ((r = 0.81, p Conclusions: The findings of no association between lumbar flexion and pain, and just a weak association between lumbar flexion and function support earlier research. The strong association found between pain and function differs from earlier research. The study indicates a need to use measures of both range of motion, pain and disability, in the examination of low back pain patients.

Keywords

• Low back pain
• examination
• lumbar range of motion
• lumbar flexion
• pain
• function