Lower Limb Proprioception in Low Back Pain and Its Relationship With Voluntary Postural Control

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate whether patients with low back pain (LBP) had impaired lower limb proprioception and its association with somatosensory acuity. Thirty patients with LBP and 30 asymptomatic people volunteered, using Sway Discrimination Apparatus tests to assess somatosensory acuity during voluntary anteroposterior and mediolateral postural sway. Results showed significantly reduced somatosensory acuity in mediolateral sway in LBP patients (p = 0.005) with ankle, knee, and hip proprioception showing significantly impairment compared to asymptomatic controls (all p ≤ 0.012). Regression analysis showed that ankle and hip proprioception were significantly associated with somatosensory perception (0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.026, 0.067 ≤ R²≤ 0.235). Overall, findings suggested a global deterioration of lower limb proprioception in LBP patients, with ankle and hip proprioception playing crucial role in somatosensory perception.

Keywords: ankle; low back pain; postural control; proprioception; somatosensory perception.