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Updated: Sep 19, 2025
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Assessing motor control and movement quality in patients with non-specific low back pain: a scoping review and
Georg Pfluegler1,2, Meike Klinger3, Clemens Ley3
1FH Campus Wien University of Applied Sciences, Wien, Austria georg.pfluegler@fh-campuswien.ac.at.
Objective:
To describe frequently investigated and recommended movement tasks, the underlying motor control functions and the domains of movement quality that are assessed in patients with non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Design:
A scoping review. Preferred Reporting for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews and JBI methodology for scoping reviews were followed. A thematic approach was used in an iterative process to identify broader themes in the data synthesis.
Data Sources:
MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Cochrane Library, COSMIN database and DiTA were systematically searched as part of a three-step search strategy (last search: 22 April 2025).
Eligibility Criteria For Selecting Studies:
Various types of evidence (qualitative and quantitative, primary and secondary) exploring and discussing movement tasks for assessing lumbopelvic motor control and movement quality in adult patients with non-specific LBP were considered. Grey literature was excluded.
Results:
In total, 354 articles from 34 countries were included. Among them, 224 were primary research studies in laboratory settings, 68 studies in clinical settings, 7 meta-analyses, 13 systematic reviews and 42 articles classified as 'other sources'. Overall, 20 movement task clusters were identified, with 'hip movements in various positions' and 'forward bending' being the two most common. A conceptual framework was constructed, consisting of five International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health-based broad motor control functions and 10 movement quality domains, namely flexibility, stability, accuracy, symmetry, speed, smoothness, adaptability, variability, efficiency and coordination.
Conclusion:
The provided conceptual framework for motor control functions and movement quality domains can serve as a structural foundation for future research on the content validity of assessment approaches in the context of LBP.
