Thomas Maribo, Berit Schiøttz-Christensen, Lone Donbæk Jensen, Niels Trolle Andersen, Kristian Stengaard-Pedersen


March 2012, Volume 21, Issue 3, pp 425 - 431 Original Article Read Full Article 10.1007/s00586-011-1981-5

First Online: 24 August 2011

Introduction

Altered postural control has been observed in low back pain (LBP) patients. They seem to be more dependent on vision when standing. The objective of the study was to determine concurrent and predictive validity of measures of postural stability in LBP patients.

Materials and methods

Centre of Pressure (CoP) measurements were tested against pain, fear of pain, and physical function. Velocity, anterior–posterior displacement, and the Romberg Ratio obtained on a portable force platform were used as measures of postural stability.

Results

Baseline and 12-week follow-up results of 97 LBP patients were evaluated. The correlations between CoP measurements and pain, fear of pain, and physical function were poor. There were no significant differences in CoP measurements between patients with no change or deterioration and patients with improvement in pain and back-specific function.

Conclusion

This first study of concurrent and predictive validity of postural balance in LBP patients revealed no association between CoP measures and pain, fear of pain, and physical function.


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