Clinical Tests and Functional Capacity in Office Workers With Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain Between Mild and...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Physical Therapy
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) is prevalent among office workers.
• Pain intensity is a key factor in assessing NSCLBP, but its impact on clinical and functional measures is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare clinical tests and functional capacity in office workers with mild versus moderate NSCLBP.
• To determine if pain severity influences outcomes of specific diagnostic and functional assessments.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 80 office workers with NSCLBP, divided into mild (n=40) and moderate (n=40) pain groups.
• Clinical tests included passive lumbar extension test (PLET) and straight leg raising (SLR).
• Functional capacity was assessed using the five-time sit-to-stand (5STS) and two-minute step test (TMST).

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed between mild and moderate NSCLBP groups for SLR degrees and PLET results.
• Functional capacity tests (5STS and TMST) also showed similar performance between the mild and moderate pain groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Pain intensity (mild vs. moderate) does not differentiate outcomes for PLET, SLR, 5STS, and TMST in individuals with NSCLBP.
• Positive results in clinical and functional tests are common in NSCLBP, regardless of mild or moderate pain levels.
• PLET, SLR, and functional capacity assessments are recommended for both mild and moderate NSCLBP to ensure comprehensive evaluation.