Abstract
Objective. The primary purpose of this paper was to evaluate the influence of pain distribution on gait characteristics in subjects with low back problems (LBP) during walking at preferred and fastest speeds. Design. Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting. Gait analysis laboratory in a health professions university. Participants. A convenience age- and gender-matched sample of 20 subjects with back pain only (BPO), 20 with referred leg pain due to back problems (LGP), and 20 pain-free individuals (CON). Methods and Measures. Subjects completed standardized self-reports on pain and disability and were videotaped as they walked at their preferred and fastest speeds along a walkway embedded with a force plate. Temporal and spatial gait characteristics were measured at the midsection of the walkway, and peak medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior components of horizontal ground reaction forces (hGRFs) were measured during the stance phase. Results. Patients with leg pain had higher levels of pain intensity and affect compared to those with back pain only (t=4.91, P<.001 and t=5.80, P<0.001, resp.) and walking had an analgesic effect in the BPO group. Gait velocity was highest in the control group followed by the BPO and LGP group and differed between groups at both walking speeds (F 2.57 =13.62, P<.001 and F 2.57 =9.09, P<.001, for preferred and fastest speed condition, resp.). When normalized against gait velocity, the LGP group generated significantly less lateral force at the fastest walking speed (P=.005) and significantly less posterior force at both walking speeds (P≤.01) compared to the control group. Conclusions. Pain intensity and distribution differentially influence gait velocity and hGRFs during gait. Those with referred leg pain tend to utilize significantly altered gait strategies that are more apparent at faster walking speeds.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | 214980 |
| Journal | Pain Research and Treatment |
| Volume | 2012 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2012 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
- Clinical Neurology
Cite this
The influence of pain distribution on walking velocity and horizontal ground reaction forces in patients with low back pain. / Simmonds, Maureen J.; Lee, C. Ellen; Etnyre, Bruce R.; Morris, G. Stephen.
In: Pain Research and Treatment, Vol. 2012, 214980, 2012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of pain distribution on walking velocity and horizontal ground reaction forces in patients with low back pain
AU - Simmonds, Maureen J.
AU - Lee, C. Ellen
AU - Etnyre, Bruce R.
AU - Morris, G. Stephen
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Objective. The primary purpose of this paper was to evaluate the influence of pain distribution on gait characteristics in subjects with low back problems (LBP) during walking at preferred and fastest speeds. Design. Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting. Gait analysis laboratory in a health professions university. Participants. A convenience age- and gender-matched sample of 20 subjects with back pain only (BPO), 20 with referred leg pain due to back problems (LGP), and 20 pain-free individuals (CON). Methods and Measures. Subjects completed standardized self-reports on pain and disability and were videotaped as they walked at their preferred and fastest speeds along a walkway embedded with a force plate. Temporal and spatial gait characteristics were measured at the midsection of the walkway, and peak medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior components of horizontal ground reaction forces (hGRFs) were measured during the stance phase. Results. Patients with leg pain had higher levels of pain intensity and affect compared to those with back pain only (t=4.91, P<.001 and t=5.80, P<0.001, resp.) and walking had an analgesic effect in the BPO group. Gait velocity was highest in the control group followed by the BPO and LGP group and differed between groups at both walking speeds (F 2.57 =13.62, P<.001 and F 2.57 =9.09, P<.001, for preferred and fastest speed condition, resp.). When normalized against gait velocity, the LGP group generated significantly less lateral force at the fastest walking speed (P=.005) and significantly less posterior force at both walking speeds (P≤.01) compared to the control group. Conclusions. Pain intensity and distribution differentially influence gait velocity and hGRFs during gait. Those with referred leg pain tend to utilize significantly altered gait strategies that are more apparent at faster walking speeds.
AB - Objective. The primary purpose of this paper was to evaluate the influence of pain distribution on gait characteristics in subjects with low back problems (LBP) during walking at preferred and fastest speeds. Design. Cross-sectional, observational study. Setting. Gait analysis laboratory in a health professions university. Participants. A convenience age- and gender-matched sample of 20 subjects with back pain only (BPO), 20 with referred leg pain due to back problems (LGP), and 20 pain-free individuals (CON). Methods and Measures. Subjects completed standardized self-reports on pain and disability and were videotaped as they walked at their preferred and fastest speeds along a walkway embedded with a force plate. Temporal and spatial gait characteristics were measured at the midsection of the walkway, and peak medial, lateral, anterior, and posterior components of horizontal ground reaction forces (hGRFs) were measured during the stance phase. Results. Patients with leg pain had higher levels of pain intensity and affect compared to those with back pain only (t=4.91, P<.001 and t=5.80, P<0.001, resp.) and walking had an analgesic effect in the BPO group. Gait velocity was highest in the control group followed by the BPO and LGP group and differed between groups at both walking speeds (F 2.57 =13.62, P<.001 and F 2.57 =9.09, P<.001, for preferred and fastest speed condition, resp.). When normalized against gait velocity, the LGP group generated significantly less lateral force at the fastest walking speed (P=.005) and significantly less posterior force at both walking speeds (P≤.01) compared to the control group. Conclusions. Pain intensity and distribution differentially influence gait velocity and hGRFs during gait. Those with referred leg pain tend to utilize significantly altered gait strategies that are more apparent at faster walking speeds.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873877085&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84873877085&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1155/2012/214980
DO - 10.1155/2012/214980
M3 - Article
C2 - 22550576
AN - SCOPUS:84873877085
VL - 2012
JO - Pain Research and Treatment
JF - Pain Research and Treatment
SN - 2090-1542
M1 - 214980
ER -