Articles: low-back-pain.
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This preliminary cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine if there were measurable relationships between posture, back muscle endurance and low back pain (LBP) in industrial workers with a reported history of flexion strain injury and flexion pain provocation. Clinical reports state that subjects with flexion pain disorders of the lumbar spine commonly adopt passive flexed postures such as slump sitting and present with associated dysfunction of the spinal postural stabilising musculature. However, to date there is little empirical evidence to support that patients with back pain, posture their spines differently than pain-free subjects. ⋯ Correlations between increased time spent sitting, physical inactivity and poorer back muscle endurance were also identified. There were no significant differences found between the groups for the standing and lifting posture measures. These preliminary results support that a relationship may exist between flexed spinal postures, reduced back muscle endurance, physical inactivity and LBP in subjects with a history of flexion injury and pain.
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This is a retrospective study of 250 patients who describe low back pain with pain drawings. A computer application using artificial neural networks was designed to analyze pain drawings and evaluate the contribution of pain sensation to drawing classification. ⋯ Patient-reported pain sensation does not improve classification when quantitatively scoring pain drawings.
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The association of low back pain, neuromuscular imbalance, and trunk extension strength in athletes.
Imbalanced patterns of erector spinae activity and reduced trunk extension strength have been observed among patients with low back pain (LBP). The association between LBP and neuromuscular imbalance still remains unclear. ⋯ A direct relationship between LBP and neuromuscular imbalance was documented in athletes with LBP. Maximum isometric trunk extension strength had no relationship to the presence of LBP or the occurrence of neuromuscular imbalance of erector spinae. Common clinical testing of spinal mobility and muscular flexibility had only limited correlation to LBP and neuromuscular imbalance.
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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota conducted a quality improvement project to quantify and improve the clinical and functional outcomes of low back pain and neck pain patients in a chiropractic network. Improved outcomes were encouraged through a financial incentive for implementation of standard clinical outcome measurement tools, quarterly feedback to individual practices, and a face-to-face meeting to share best practices. Although a large database on baseline neck pain and low back pain and functional disability was generated, and clinically and statistically significant improvements in outcomes were documented, progressive improvement in outcomes over the 4-year project period was not found.
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Comparative Study
In vivo erector spinae muscle blood volume and oxygenation measures during repetitive incremental lifting and lowering in chronic low back pain participants.
A case control study. ⋯ The results indicated that the chronic LBP participants demonstrated a reduced cardiorespiratory and erector spinae muscle response during repetitive incremental lifting and lowering to volitional fatigue as compared to the healthy controls.