Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 25, 2026
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
The self-reported aggravating activities of people with chronic non-specific low back pain do not involve consistent
Benedict M Wand1, Rebecca Hunter, Neil E O'Connell
1Health Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, Freemantle, WA 6959, Australia. bwand@nd.edu.au
Question:
Do the self-reported aggravating activities of people with chronic non-specific low back pain move the spine in a consistent direction?
Design:
Cross-sectional observational study.
Participants:
240 people with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Outcome Measure:
The self-reported aggravating activities from the Patient Specific Functional Scale were classified as flexion, extension or unilateral according to the direction of lumbar spine movement. PARTICIPANTS were described as demonstrating a directional pattern if all three self-reported aggravating activities moved the spine in the same direction.
Results:
Of the 148 participants with three classifiable aggravating activities, 47 (32%) demonstrated a directional pattern with 46 (98%) demonstrating a flexion pattern and 1 (2%) an extension pattern. The observed incidence of a directional pattern in the three self-reported aggravating activities of the 148 participants (32%) was no different from what would have been expected by chance. There were no clinical or demographic differences between those who demonstrated a directional pattern and those who did not.
Conclusion:
There is no evidence for the existence of a consistent direction of spinal movement during the self-reported aggravating activities of people with chronic non-specific low back pain.
