Generalized joint laxity as a predictor of recovering from low back pain during pregnancy - A prospective study

Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal problem during pregnancy. The symptoms usually disappear gradually after delivery, but some women may have persistent problems even later in their lives. Individuals with generalized joint laxity (GJL) were expected to have more injuries on lumbar discs and require prolonged healing time. Therefore, this study aims to investigate whether the test of GJL before the pregnancy could predict the prognosis of pregnancy-related LBP.

375 women were recruited from January 2017 to October 2017 in antenatal clinics. Those who suffered the LBP during pregnancy were analyzed and further grouped based on whether they recovered from LBP after deliver. The variables such as age, GJL level using Beighton score, and parity were recorded and examined for the risk analysis of unrecovered LBP. Also, the cut-off point for the Beighton score was determined by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the Pearson correlation between GJL levels and pain intensities was investigated.

324 pregnant women completed this study. The mean age of included participants was 29.4 ± 4.6 years. Thereinto, 210 women (64.8%) had LBP during their pregnancy. Of these, 51 women (24.3%) failed to recovery from LBP 2 years after delivery. Beighton score (≥6), LBP in a previous pregnancy, back pain, and high physical demand were risk factors for LBP without recovery (all P < 0.001). Besides, there was a significant correlation between HGS values and the intensities of LBP (r = -0.564, P = 0.002).

Beighton score is a straightforward and reliable indicator of GJL, and the evaluation before pregnancy using it could help screen high risks for pregnancy-related LBP. The present findings may help encourage pregestational exercise targeted at trunk extensors to help alleviate and even avoid the intensities of LBP during pregnancy.