The Influence of Standing-Induced Low Back Pain on Spatiotemporal Gait Variables and Trunk-Pelvis Kinematics

Standing-induced low back pain (LBP), wherein individuals with no LBP history report pain during prolonged standing, can be prevented by altered lumbopelvic posture and/or increased movement. Walking breaks can reduce standing-induced LBP. Although LBP and walking are typically studied in the context of chronic pain, the standing-induced pain model can establish whether altered gait mechanics precede pain and whether movement after standing reduces pain. This study used a standing-induced LBP paradigm to assess effects of standing on spatiotemporal gait parameters and trunk-pelvis kinematics. Participants stood for 75 minutes completing computer tasks, with prestanding and poststanding walking recorded using markerless motion capture. Ten of 31 participants developed LBP during standing; however, their gait changes differed from those in the literature for chronic LBP. Pain-developing participants showed less trunk-pelvis lateral bend deviation angle during walking. Trunk axial twist deviation phase angle increased, which may signal a redistribution of force across different tissues following a pain-inducing task or reduced function of the deep stabilizer muscles of the spine, resulting in more movement variability. Future work will measure muscle activity throughout walking and standing to link kinematics and muscle activity and explore whether walking at different speeds may alter pain development.