Pain, function, contractile properties, and spinal kinematics in adult females with and without non-specific chronic low back pain: a comparative and correlational study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare pain levels, functional impairment, contractile properties of the erector spinae and spinal kinematics in females with and without non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP), and to examine the interrelationships among these variables.

Methods

All participants were assessed for pain levels and functional impairment. Tensiomyography was used to evaluate the contractile properties of the erector spinae, and all participants were assessed for spinal kinematics during a lift task. An independent t-test was performed to compare all variables between the control group and the NSCLBP group, and the Pearson correlation coefficient analysis was performed to examine the relationships among all variables.

Results

We found significant differences between groups in pain levels, functional impairment, maximal radial muscle displacement, contraction velocity, and lumbar extension and rotation angles. Additionally, Pearson correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between pain levels, functional impairment, and the lumbar extension angle, and a significant negative correlation was found between maximal radial muscle displacement and both pain levels and functional impairment.

Conclusions

This study identified differences in pain level, functional impairment, contrac-tile properties of erector spinae and spinal kinematics based on NSCLBP presence, along with correlations among these variables. Further research should explore other functional motor tasks.