Comparison of chronic low-back pain patients hip range of motion with lumbar instability

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare differences in hip range of motion between a lumbar stability group and a lumbar instability group of patients with chronic low-back pain. [Subjects] Sixty-nine patients with chronic low-back pain were divided into two groups: a lumbar stability group (n=39) and a lumbar instability group (n=30). [Methods] The patients were assessed using a goniometer to evaluate the hip range of motion at pre-test. Data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 software for Windows. The experimental data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, repeated one-way ANOVA, and the t-test, and a significance level of 0.05. [Results] The limitation of hip range of motion of the lumbar instability group was significantly greater than that of the lumbar stability group. [Conclusion] The chronic low-back pain patients showed greater limitation of hip range of motion than healthy persons, and among them, those who had lumbar instability showed greater limitation than those with lumbar stability.