Effect of Functional Movements on Trunk Functional Capacity and Kinesiophobia in Patients with Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

Abstract

Background. People with chronic low back pain have more fear of movements during physical activities and are more sensitive to pain as well as are anxious that it will recur. They perform functional movements slower than healthy individuals.

Objective. To determine the effect of functional movements on the indicators of trunk functional capacity, functional disability and fear of movement in people experiencing chronic non-specific low back pain.

Materials and methods. Patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain (n = 34) participated in the study. Pain intensity, disability, fear of movement, and trunk functional capacity were assessed. Participants were randomly assigned to control group (n = 17) and subject group (n = 17). The control group underwent physiotherapy for lumbopelvic and low extremities inter–muscular coordination, while the subject group underwent both: physiotherapy for lumbopelvic and low extremities inter–muscular coordination and the functional movement training simultaneously.

Results. The result analysis before and after the research showed an improvement in all categories evaluated (p <0.05). Pain intensity and functional disability decreased in both groups (p <0.05), however no significant differences were observed between subject and control groups. Kinesiophobia decreased significantly in the experimental group more than in the control group (p <0.05). Significant differences between subject and control groups were observed in trunk functional capacity during stand-to-sit and repeated trunk flexion-extension tasks (p <0.05).

Conclusions. Functional movements combined with lumbopelvic and low extremities inter-muscular coordination exercises reduce kinesiophobia and improve performance of some functional movements more when compared to performing lumbopelvic and low extremities intermuscular coordination exercises alone in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain

Keywords: functional movements, kinesiophobia, low back pain