Chronic low back pain is associated with altered affordance perception
Juliana Nicolino da Costa1, Alice Brochado Campolina1, Priscila Albuquerque de Araújo1
1Rehabilitation Sciences Graduate Program, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
Rehabilitation Psychology
|July 27, 2026
Summary
Individuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) underestimate their movement capabilities, affecting how they perceive and interact with their environment. However, their fundamental movement patterns remain intact, suggesting new rehabilitation approaches may help.
Area of Science:
- Biomechanics
- Ecological Psychology
- Pain Science
Background:
- Chronic low back pain (CLBP) often leads to altered movement and reduced environmental interaction.
- An ecological-enactive view suggests pain narrows perceived action possibilities.
- Understanding how CLBP affects perception and movement is crucial for rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if CLBP impacts action capability perception.
- To examine if CLBP alters exploratory movement patterns when approaching environmental constraints.
Main Methods:
- 27 adults with CLBP and 28 controls walked through various opening widths.
- Affordance perception was assessed using perceived action threshold and perception-action ratio.
- Pelvis-trunk coordination characterized exploratory movement patterns.
Main Results:
- Individuals with CLBP showed a higher perceived action threshold and larger perception-action ratio, indicating underestimation of capabilities.
- Perceived action threshold positively correlated with pain intensity.
- No significant differences in pelvis-trunk coordination were found between groups.
Conclusions:
- CLBP alters affordance perception but not pelvis-trunk coordination during movement exploration.
- Exploratory movement patterns appear preserved despite altered perception of action capabilities in CLBP.
- Rehabilitation targeting perception-action coupling may enhance functional outcomes for individuals with CLBP.
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