European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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The aim was to elucidate elite swimming's possible influence on lumbar disc degeneration (DD) and low back pain (LBP). ⋯ Elite swimmers and controls had similar prevalence of DD and LBP, although the pattern of DD differed between the groups. In case of DD, swimmers reported less LBP, although N.S.
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To assess the changes in gait pattern and clinical symptoms of patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) following a home-based biomechanical treatment (HBBT). ⋯ Significant differences exist between patients with CNSLBP and healthy controls in terms of gait pattern and self-assessed health status. The examined HBBT led to significant improvements in gait pattern, reduction in pain, improved function and increased quality of life. However, future studies should validate these results while comparing this treatment to other treatment modalities.
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Observational Study
Responsiveness of the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia in Italian subjects with chronic low back pain undergoing motor and cognitive rehabilitation.
The Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK) is a commonly used measure for the assessment of kinesiophobia related to spinal diseases. The Italian version showed satisfactory psychometric properties, but its responsiveness has not yet been evaluated. This observational study is aimed at evaluating the responsiveness and minimal important changes (MICs) for the TSK in subjects with chronic low back pain. ⋯ The TSK was sensitive in detecting clinical changes in subjects with chronic low back pain. We recommend taking the MICs provided into account when assessing patients' improvement or planning studies in this clinical context.
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LDD is an important cause of low back pain. Many people believe there is an adverse influence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) on lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (LDD). We examined a population sample for epidemiological evidence of association. ⋯ Twins having T2D did manifest higher LDD scores but the effect was abrogated once BMI was included in multivariable analysis, showing it is not an independent risk factor for LDD. The population study had 80 % power at 0.1 significance level to detect a difference of 1.8 in LDD score (range of 0-60), so if there is an effect of T2D on LDD, it is likely to be small.