Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012:2012:430374.
doi: 10.1155/2012/430374. Epub 2012 Aug 9.

Balance, Falls-Related Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Factors amongst Older Women with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Case-Control Study

Annick Champagne  1 , François Prince, Vicky Bouffard, Danik Lafond
Affiliations

Balance, Falls-Related Self-Efficacy, and Psychological Factors amongst Older Women with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Case-Control Study

Annick Champagne et al. Rehabil Res Pract. 2012.

Abstract

Objective. To investigate balance functions in older women and evaluate the association of the fear-avoidance beliefs model (FABM) factors with balance and mobility performance. Participants. Fifteen older women with CLBP was compared with age-matched pain-free controls (n = 15). Main Outcome Measures. Pain intensity, falls-related self-efficacy and intrinsic constructs in the FABM were evaluated. Postural steadiness (centre of pressure (COP)) and mobility functions were assessed. Linear relationships of FABM variables with COP and mobility score were estimated. Results. CLBP showed lower mobility score compared to controls. CLBP presented lower falls-related self-efficacy and it was associated with reduced mobility scores. FABM variables and falls-related self-efficacy were correlated with postural steadiness. Physical activity was reduced in CLBP, but no between-group difference was evident for knee extensor strength. No systematic linkages were observed between FABM variables with mobility score or postural steadiness. Conclusions. Back pain status affects balance and mobility functions in older women. Falls-related self-efficacy is lower in CLBP and is associated with reduced mobility. Disuse syndrome in CLBP elderly is partly supported by the results of this preliminary study.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of postural steadiness between older CLBP women (grey) and controls (black). (a) Center of pressure (COP), speed in anteroposterior (A/P), and mediolateral (M/L) directions; (b) Power frequency bands (B1 to B3) for each group, expressed as a percentage of total power of COP signals. Data are mean ± SD; *P < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Leveille SG, Guralnik JM, Hochberg M, et al. Low back pain and disability in older women: independent association with difficulty but not inability to perform daily activities. Journals of Gerontology Series A. 1999;54(10):M487–M493. - PubMed
    1. Hartvigsen J, Christensen K, Frederiksen H. Back and neck pain exhibit many common features in old age: a population-based study of 4,486 danish twins 70–102 years of age. Spine. 2004;29(5):576–580. - PubMed
    1. Leboeuf-Yde C, Nielsen J, Kyvik KO, Fejer R, Hartvigsen J. Pain in the lumbar, thoracic or cervical regions: do age and gender matter? A population-based study of 34,902 Danish twins 20–71 years of age. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders. 2009;10, article 39 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hicks GE, Gaines JM, Shardell M, Simonsick EM. Status and functional capacity of older adults: findings from the retirement community back pain study. Arthritis and rheumatism. 2008;59(9):1306–1313. - PubMed
    1. Weiner DK, Rudy TE, Morrow L, Slaboda J, Lieber S. The relationship between pain, neuropsychological performance, and physical function in community-dwelling older adults with chronic low back pain. Pain Medicine. 2006;7(1):60–70. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources