Functional Gait Parameters as Objective Assessment Tools in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Case Study

Abstract

We report a 38 yrs old patient with a previously diagnosed Chronic Low Back Pain who became severely functionally impaired as evidenced by the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (56%). The aim of this study was to introduce changes in functional gait parameters as an assessment tool before and after a single session of Kinesiotape application in a patient with chronic LBP. We introduced, for the first time, gait parameters including the 10-meter walk test and the 6-minute walk test as the functional gait parameters of interest. There was (1) a 25% & 36% increase in normal walking speed and fast walking speed, respectively as evidenced by the 10MWT with 72% decrease in pain and (2) a 86% increase in walking tolerance as evidenced by the 6MWT with 88% decrease in pain. Our data demonstrated for the first time the possible effective use of gait assessment as objective motor performance measures to assess the therapy-induced improvement following therapeutic intervention in patient with chronic low back pain. We hope that these data will act as a starting point for further research to test the potential gait assessment measures to provide a more in-depth objective assessment in response to rehabilitation therapies in chronic low back pain patients.