Somatosensory reweighting and visual strategies during three repeated trials of the sensory organization test in adults with chronic low back pain.

BACKGROUND

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is associated with impaired postural stability, often characterized by higher strategy indices, indicating increased reliance on ankle strategies for balance.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to compare strategy indices and sensory contributions across three repeated trials of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) to examine postural adaptations in adults with and without LBP.

METHODS

Twenty-eight adults with LBP and 44 control participants completed three trials across six conditions of the SOT. Strategy indices and sensory analysis scores were compared between groups. In addition, pain intensity was measured using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and disability levels were assessed with the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

RESULTS

The LBP group exhibited higher VAS (t = -8.15, p = 0.001) and ODI (t = -10.85, p = 0.001) scores compared to the control group. For strategy indices, the LBP group showed significant increases in Condition 4 of the second trial (t = -2.55, p = 0.01) and Condition 6 of the third trial (t = 2.13, p = 0.02), though no significant interaction was found across conditions and trials (F = 1.48, p = 0.23). Sensory analysis revealed increased somatosensory (t = -2.53, p = 0.01) and visual (t = -3.03, p = 0.01) contributions in the LBP group during Trial 2, suggesting adaptive sensory reweighting compared to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The LBP group demonstrated greater reliance on somatosensory and visual inputs than the control group during Trial 2, indicating adaptive compensatory mechanisms in response to postural demands. These findings emphasize the role of sensory reweighting in the LBP group and support the use of sensory-focused strategies to improve postural control.