Poor Back Muscle Endurance Is Related to Pain Catastrophizing in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Background: Lumbar stabilisation exercise has been shown to reduce pain and disability in patients with low back pain but information on its potential benefits in term of back muscle endurance is scarce. Objective: This study was aimed at investigating the effects of augmenting conventional physiotherapy with lumbar stabilization exercises on selected variables of patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). Methods: Forty individuals with NSCLBP aged 20-60 years were assigned to one of experimental or control groups (20 in each). The experimental group had lumbar stabilisation exercises in addition to conventional therapy (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator and infrared) which was the only treatment for the control group. Both groups were treated thrice weekly. Participants’ pain intensity, disability index, kinesiophobia level and back muscle endurance were evaluated at baseline and after 8 weeks. Results: There was significant reduction in pain intensity (experimental: 6.74±1.37; 3.48±1.09; control: 6.57±1.40; 2.96±1.13) and disability index (experimental: 46.60±16.67; 26.55±14.78; control: 32.10±16.16; 24.60±15.27) and increase in back muscle endurance (experimental: 11.05±8.39; 14.30±19.24s; control: 10.85±9.79; 13.90±11.63s) for both groups. Experimental group had significantly greater reduction (p < 0.05) in disability index than the controls (p = 0.048). Conclusion: Augmenting conventional physiotherapy with lumbar stabilisation exercises achieved better reduction in disability than conventional therapy alone in patients with NSCLBP. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.19(3) 2020 p.467-474

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Poster 169: Validity of Trunk Muscle Strength and Back Muscle Endurance Measurements in Chronic Low Back Pain

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1016/j.apmr.2008.09.219 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 89 (11) ◽

pp. e74

Author(s):

Gerold Ebenbichler ◽

Richard Crevenna ◽

Wolfgang Gruther ◽

Christoph Leitner ◽

Michael P. Matzner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Trunk Muscle ◽

Muscle Endurance ◽

Low Back ◽

Back Muscle ◽

Trunk Muscle Strength

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Chronic low back pain and back muscle activity during functional tasks

Gait & Posture ◽

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2018.01.021 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 61 ◽

pp. 250-256 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Maicom Lima ◽

Arthur Sá Ferreira ◽

Felipe José Jandre Reis ◽

Vanessa Paes ◽

Ney Meziat-Filho

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Muscle Activity ◽

Low Back ◽

Back Muscle

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Age- and sex-specific effects in paravertebral surface electromyographic back extensor muscle fatigue in chronic low back pain

GeroScience ◽

10.1007/s11357-019-00134-7 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 251-269 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gerold Ebenbichler ◽

Richard Habenicht ◽

Sara Ziegelbecker ◽

Josef Kollmitzer ◽

Patrick Mair ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Muscle Fatigue ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Median Frequency ◽

Low Back ◽

Back Muscle ◽

The Impact ◽

Back Extensor ◽

Age And Sex

AbstractThe impact of aging on the back muscles is not well understood, yet may hold clues to both normal aging and chronic low back pain (cLBP). This study sought to investigate whether the median frequency (MF) surface electromyographic (SEMG) back muscle fatigue method—a proxy for glycolytic muscle metabolism—would be able to detect age- and sex-specific differences in neuromuscular and muscle metabolic functions in individuals with cLBP in a reliable way, and whether it would be as sensitive as when used on healthy individuals. With participants seated on a dynamometer (20° trunk anteflexion), paraspinal SEMG activity was recorded bilaterally from the multifidus (L5), longissimus (L2), and iliolumbalis (L1) muscles during isometric, sustained back extensions loaded at 80% of maximum from 117 younger (58 females) and 112 older (56 female) cLBP individuals. Tests were repeated after 1–2 days and 6 weeks. Median frequency, the SEMG variable indicating neuromuscular fatigue, was analyzed. Maximum back extensor strength was comparable between younger and older participants. Significantly less MF-SEMG back muscle fatigue was observed in older as compared to younger, and in older female as compared to older male cLBP individuals. Relative reliability was excellent, but absolute reliability appeared large for this SEMG-fatigue measure. Findings suggest that cLBP likely does not mask the age-specific diagnostic potential of the MF-SEMG back extensor fatigue method. Thus, this method possesses a great potential to be further developed into a valuable biomarker capable of detecting back muscle function at risk of sarcopenia at very early stages.

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Comparative Associations of Working Memory and Pain Catastrophizing With Chronic Low Back Pain Intensity

Physical Therapy ◽

10.2522/ptj.20150335 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 96 (7) ◽

pp. 1049-1056 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Corey B. Simon ◽

Trevor A. Lentz ◽

Mark D. Bishop ◽

Joseph L. Riley ◽

Roger B. Fillingim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Pain Intensity ◽

Chronic Low Back Pain ◽

Pain Catastrophizing ◽

Future Research ◽

Low Back ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Daily Pain

Abstract Background Because of its high global burden, determining biopsychosocial influences of chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a research priority. Psychological factors such as pain catastrophizing are well established. However, cognitive factors such as working memory warrant further investigation to be clinically useful. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine how working memory and pain catastrophizing are associated with CLBP measures of daily pain intensity and movement-evoked pain intensity. Design This study was a cross-sectional analysis of individuals with ≥3 months of CLBP (n=60) compared with pain-free controls (n=30). Method Participants completed measures of working memory, pain catastrophizing, and daily pain intensity. Movement-evoked pain intensity was assessed using the Back Performance Scale. Outcome measures were compared between individuals with CLBP and those who were pain-free using nonparametric testing. Associations were determined using multivariate regression analyses. Results Participants with CLBP (mean age=47.7 years, 68% female) had lower working memory performance (P=.008) and higher pain catastrophizing (P<.001) compared with pain-free controls (mean age=47.6 years, 63% female). For individuals with CLBP, only working memory remained associated with daily pain intensity (R2=.07, standardized beta=−.308, P=.041) and movement-evoked pain intensity (R2=.14, standardized beta=−.502, P=.001) after accounting for age, sex, education, and interactions between pain catastrophizing and working memory. Limitations The cross-sectional design prevented prospective analysis. Findings also are not indicative of overall working memory (eg, spatial) or cognitive performance. Conclusion Working memory demonstrated the strongest association with daily pain and movement-evoked pain intensity compared with (and after accounting for) established CLBP factors. Future research will elucidate the prognostic value of working memory on prevention and recovery of CLBP.

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