Journal of manipulative and physiological therapeutics
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · May 2003
ReviewIs low back pain part of a general health pattern or is it a separate and distinctive entity? A critical literature review of comorbidity with low back pain.
Research concerning the development of low back pain (LBP) has traditionally focused on risk factors in search of explanations. This review focuses on comorbidity as a first step in identifying a frail subpopulation with a higher risk of developing low back pain, in particular persistent low back pain. Research into comorbidity might yield a greater understanding of the underlying mechanism for low back pain. Data sources Medline was searched from the beginning of the data base to December 2000, followed by a search through the authors' personal collections of epidemiologic literature regarding low back pain. All articles written in English were included if they related LBP to at least one other physical disorder. Articles were excluded if the prevalence of such disorders could not be compared to that of a control group or to the expected prevalence in a normal population. Data extraction The retrieved articles were evaluated for quality based on predefined methodological criteria, whereupon information about associations between low back pain and other physical disorders was extracted. ⋯ The literature leaves no doubt that diseases cluster in some individuals and that low back pain is part of this pattern. However, the nature of the relationship between low back pain and other disorders is still unclear.
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · May 2003
The course of low back pain in a general population. Results from a 5-year prospective study.
To investigate the course of low back pain (LBP) in a general population over 5 years. ⋯ Low back pain should not be considered transient and therefore neglected, since the condition rarely seems to be self-limiting but merely presents with periodic attacks and temporary remissions. On the other hand, chronicity as defined solely by the duration of symptoms should not be considered chronic.
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J Manipulative Physiol Ther · May 2003
Comparative StudyComparison of dynamic posteroanterior spinal stiffness to plain film radiographic images of lumbar disk height.
Assessments of spinal stiffness have become more popular in recent years as a noninvasive objective biomechanical means to evaluate the human spine. Studies investigating posteroanterior (PA) forces in spinal stiffness assessment have shown relationships to spinal level, body type, and lumbar extensor muscle activity. Such measures may be important determinants to discriminate between patients with low back pain (LBP) and asymptomatic subjects. ⋯ Computations of spinal input impedance are relatively simple to perform, can provide a noninvasive measure of the dynamic mechanical behavior of the spine, appear to have potential to discriminate pathologic changes to the spine, and warrant further study on a larger sample of normal subjects and patients.