Impact of light toe touch support on postural stability in adults with and without chronic low back pain

Light toe touch by the contralateral foot may reflect adaptive postural control strategies; however, its role during unilateral standing in adults with chronic low back pain is not fully understood. This study aimed to examine the effects of light toe touch support on postural stability during repeated unilateral standing tasks in adults with and without low back pain.

The study included 28 adults with low back pain and 43 control subjects. Each participant performed a 10-s standing task on the dominant limb for two trials using a stable platform with additional support from a touch of the contralateral foot. Relative stability was assessed through the center of pressure sway excursions and analyzing time-in-boundary at thresholds of 10 mm, 20 mm, 30 mm, and 40 mm.

In the back pain group, there was a significant increase in the number of light touches during the first trial (21.5 % compared to 11.5 % in the control group; F = 4.93, p = 0.03) and the second trial (17.3 % compared to 0.52 % in the control group; F = 8.64, p = 0.01). The groups demonstrated significant interaction on thresholds (F = 4.76, p = 0.03). There were significant differences across trials (F = 5.47, p = 0.02) and thresholds (F = 128.39, p < 0.001).

The low back pain group experienced challenges with unilateral standing, but utilizing light toe touch support significantly enhanced postural stability. Following the first trial, compensatory patterns were incorporated into balance strategies at 20 mm thresholds to reduce fall risks.