Abstract
Objective
To investigate whether proprioceptive accuracy measured with the Joint Position Sense
(JPS) in patients with chronic neck and low back pain is impaired exclusively in affected
areas or also in distant areas, not affected by pain.
Design
Cross-sectional study.
Setting
Interdisciplinary outpatient rehabilitation clinic for back and neck pain.
Participants
Patients with chronic neck pain (n=30), patients with chronic low back pain (n=30)
and age- and sex-matched asymptomatic control subjects (n=30).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Patients and asymptomatic control subjects completed a test procedure for the JPS
of the cervical spine, lumbar spine and ankle in a randomized order. Between group
differences were analyzed with the univariate analysis of variance and associations
of the JPS with clinical features using the Pearson's correlation coefficient.
Results
Both patients with chronic neck pain (p < 0.001) and patients with chronic low back
pain (p < 0.01) differed significantly from asymptomatic controls in the JPS of the
cervical spine, lumbar spine and ankle joint, regardless of the painful area. No difference
was shown between patient groups (p > 0.05). An association of the JPS with clinical
characteristics, however, could not be shown.
Conclusion
These results suggest widespread impairment of proprioceptive accuracy in patients
with chronic and low back pain and a role for central sensorimotor processes in musculoskeletal
pain conditions.
Key words
List of abbreviations:
CNP (Chronic neck pain), CLBP (Chronic low back pain), JPS (Joint Position Sense), JPSE (Joint Position Sense Error), CSI (Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI)), NDI (Neck Disability Index (NDI)), RMDQ (Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)), TSK (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), ANOVA (Analysis of variance), CNS (Central nervous system)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
February 21,
2023
Received in revised form:
February 16,
2023
Received:
January 5,
2023
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofIdentification
Copyright
© 2023 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine.
