The effects of bending speed on the lumbo-pelvic kinematics and movement pattern during forward bending in people with and without low back pain

Abstract

BackgroundImpaired lumbo-pelvic movement in people with low back pain during bending task has been reported previously. However, the regional mobility and the pattern of the lumbo-pelvic movement were found to vary across studies. The inconsistency of the findings may partly be related to variations in the speed at which the task was executed. This study examined the effects of bending speeds on the kinematics and the coordination lumbo-pelvic movement during forward bending, and to compare the performance of individuals with and without low back pain.MethodsThe angular displacement, velocity and acceleration of the lumbo-pelvic movement during the repeated forward bending executed at five selected speeds were acquired using the three dimensional motion tracking system in seventeen males with low back pain and eighteen males who were asymptomatic. The regional kinematics and the degree of coordination of the lumbo-pelvic movement during bending was compared and analysed between two groups.ResultsSignificantly compromised performance in velocity and acceleration of the lumbar spine and hip joint during bending task at various speed levels was shown in back pain group (p < 0.01). Both groups displayed a high degree of coordination of the lumbo-pelvic displacement during forward bending executed across the five levels of speed examined. Significant between-group difference was revealed in the coordination of the lumbo-pelvic velocity and acceleration (p < 0.01). Asymptomatic group moved with a progressively higher degree of lumbo-pelvic coordination for velocity and acceleration while the back pain group adopted a uniform lumbo-pelvic pattern across all the speed levels examined.ConclusionsThe present findings show that bending speed imposes different levels of demand on the kinematics and pattern of the lumbo-pelvic movement. The ability to regulate the lumbo-pelvic movement pattern during the bending task that executed at various speed levels was shown only in pain-free individuals but not in those with low back pain. Individuals with low back pain moved with a stereotyped strategy at their lumbar spine and hip joints. This specific aberrant lumbo-pelvic movement pattern may have a crucial role in the maintenance of the chronicity in back pain.

Association of self‐reported physical fitness with pain during pregnancy: The GESTAFIT Project

“…Another possible explanation for our findings is that physical inactivity leads to deconditioning, and there is a strong association between reduced muscular function and the development of low‐back pain in pregnancy . Moreover, people with low‐back pain present deficits of the hip musculature, which provokes compensatory lumbopelvic movements, slowly movements and an increase of deconditioning, as well as pain . For that reason, it is possible that pregnant women with greater speed‐agility may suffer lower sciatic pain, or that those with sciatic pain may be more careful to reduce pain sensitivity through slower movements.…”

“…36 Moreover, people with low-back pain present deficits of the hip musculature, which provokes compensatory lumbopelvic movements, slowly movements and an increase of deconditioning, as well as pain. 37 For that reason, it is possible that pregnant women with greater speed-agility may suffer lower sciatic pain, or that those with sciatic pain may be more careful to reduce pain sensitivity through slower movements. Finally, our results show that better flexibility is associated with a reduction in bodily and sciatic pain in late pregnancy, which is consistent with the results found by Soriano-Maldonado et al 14 Nonetheless, the association between flexibility and pain outcomes in early pregnancy is still unclear and need to be further studied.…”

Aberrant intervertebral motion in patients with treatment-resistant nonspecific low back pain: a retrospective cohort study and control comparison

“…As most back pain has come to be regarded as mechanical and related to function, back motion studies have been central in the search for functional biomarkers [5][6][7][8][9]. Here, intervertebral motion data provide more intrinsic information than surface studies and data from fluoroscopic sequences have been found to differentiate groups of patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNSLBP) from healthy controls by virtue of the patterns of segmental motion [10,11].…”

Comparison of the Anterior Pelvic Tilting Angle during Forward Bending in Individuals with and without Sciatic Nerve Tension

“…Tsang et al reported that bending speed imposes different levels of demand on the kinematics and pattern of the lumbo-pelvic movement and requires the ability to regulate the lumbo-pelvic movement pattern during forward bending while standing and demonstrated in pain free individuals. 9 Therefore, in the present study, bending speed was controlled by limiting execution to 5 seconds during forward bending by using a metronome. Kim et al reported that the lumbopelvic rhythm differed according to the low back pain subtypes, and the flexion angle of the lumbar spine was greater in the group with lumbar flexion with rotation syndrome associated low back pain than in the control group and the group with lumbar extension rotation syndrome associated low back pain; the hip flexion angle was greater in the lumbar extension rotation syndrome associated low back pain subgroup than in the control and lumbar flexion rotation syndrome group.…”

“…3 Several studies have reported an association between frequent forward bending and low back pain. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] An activity or occupation that requires repetitive forward bending may be associated with herniated intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. 11 The individual complains of flexion-related symptoms during forward bending.…”