Is lower motor control on the trunk in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain linked to difficulties in...

In the case of patients with Chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP), Functional Restoration Programs (FRP) can improve their condition. Chronicity may reoccur and lead to difficulties in the ability to work related to Fear-Avoidance Beliefs, which may depend on lower motor control.

Whereas a limited clinical scale evaluates these beliefs, our study is justified by the search to define motor control parameters that can be used as quantified indicators of fear-avoidance beliefs associated with work activity.

The aim of this study is to explore whether difficulty in working one year after participating in the FRP was related to low motor control in patients with cLBP.

Two groups were defined as: "the patients who could work one year after FRP" (called W-Group) and "the patients who could not work one year after FRP because of cLBP" (called NW-Group). The clinical analysis is based on the assessment of pain intensity and the Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (or FABQ). Gait stability and coefficients of attenuation on four back levels were considered.

The NW-Group had a significantly higher FABQ score than the W-Group one year after FRP (p = 0.02) without any difference regarding pain intensity (p = 0.31). The NW-Group (0.11 ± 0.02) presented significantly higher RMS values for the low back in the anteroposterior axis than the W-group (0.09 ± 0.01), showing lower gait stability in the NW-group.

Motor control parameters reveal significant differences between these groups.

Motor control and fear-avoidance beliefs are associated with work.