• Patrick J Knox, Corey B Simon, Ryan T Pohlig, Jenifer M Pugliese, Peter C Coyle, Jaclyn M Sions, and Gregory E Hicks.
• Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE 19713, United States.
• Pain Med. 2023 Aug 1; 24 (8): 985992985-992.

ObjectiveMovement-evoked pain (MeP) may predispose the geriatric chronic low back pain (LBP) population to health decline. As there are differing operational definitions for MeP, the question remains as to whether these different definitions have similar associations with health outcomes in older adults with chronic LBP.DesignCross-sectional analysis of an observational study.SettingClinical research laboratory.Subjects226 older adults with chronic LBP.MethodsThis secondary analysis used baseline data from a prospective cohort study (n = 250). LBP intensity was collected before and after the repeated chair rise test, stair climbing test, and 6-minute walk test; MeP change scores (ie, sum of pretest pain subtracted from posttest pain) and aggregated posttest pain (ie, sum of posttest pain) variables were calculated. LBP-related disability and self-efficacy were measured by the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPDS) and Low Back Activity Confidence Scale (LOBACS), respectively. Physical function was measured with the Health ABC Performance Battery. Robust regression with HC3 standard errors was used to evaluate adjusted associations between both MeP variables and disability, self-efficacy, and physical function.ResultsGreater aggregated posttest MeP was independently associated with worse disability (b = 0.593, t = 2.913, P = .004), self-efficacy (b = -0.870, t = -3.110, P = .002), and physical function (b = -0.017, t = -2.007, P = .039). MeP change scores were not associated with any outcome (all P > .050).ConclusionsAggregate posttest MeP was linked to poorer health outcomes in older adults with chronic LBP, but MeP change scores were not. Future studies should consider that the construct validity of MeP paradigms partially depends on the chosen operational definition.© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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