Correlation between back pain, trunk muscle endurance and lumbar proprioception

Object of the study: low back pain, muscle endurance and proprioception in young adults. The problem of the research: It is widely recognised that proprioceptive input from muscles, joints and other receptors is necessary for the accurate control of movement and posture (Rozzi et al., 2000). Impaired proprioception in the lumbar spine has often been reported in people with low back pain (Brumagne et al., 2000), and back pain is associated with flexion-extension muscle imbalance (McGill et al., 2003). So individual with poor lumbar extensor muscle endurance will have effect on posture, balance as they are associated with poor proprioceptive input from the muscles which have on indirect effect on productivity in work place and increased risk of injury to the back (Reddy et al., 2012). Hypothesis: We consider that people who have poor lumbar muscle endurance and lumbar proprioception, have an increased risk of low back pain. Aim of the study – to determine the correlation between back pain, lumbar muscle endurance and lumbar proprioception. Tasks of the study: 1. To determine lumbar endurance in young adults with and without back pain; 2. To assess lumbar proprioception in young adults with and without back pain; 3. To determine the correlation between back pain, lumbar proprioception and endurance. Methods: anthropometric data about the subjects; assessment of the back pain using numeric pain intensity scale; the subjects were assessed for neutral position sense and target reposition sense (10⁰) as a measure of lumbar proprioception using bubble inclinometer in degrees; trunk muscle endurance was recorded in seconds (by S. McGill, 2007), and the subjects were asked to maintain the position for as long as possible. Conclusions: 1. Trunk endurance was significantly lower in women and men with back pain than in subjects without back pain. 2. There was no significant difference in lumbar proprioception between young women and men with and without back pain. 3. Between back pain, extension and flexion endurance tests was significantly poor correlation, and there was no significant correlation between proprioception, back pain and trunk endurance test