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Visual Feedback in Chronic Low Back Pain of Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Low Back Pain
Interventions
Other: Visual feedback
Other: No visual feedback
Registration Number
NCT03493360
Lead Sponsor
Aveiro University
Brief Summary

The objectives of this study are to:

* Evaluate the effect of visual feedback on the intensity of low back pain, range of motion and function of pregnant and non-pregnant women with chronic low back pain.

* Determine the association between low back pain, catastrophizing, fear of movement and low back perception/image.

Detailed Description

It is antecipated that 15 pregnant women with low back pain and 15 non-pregnant women with low back pain will enter the study. Each group will receive two different interventions, one consisting of visual feedback when performing 10 repetitions of low back flexion, extension and right and left side-flexion and another intervention consisting of the same low back movements without visual feedback. Participants will be assessed for pain intensity, pain location, disability, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing, perception of the low back, flexion range of motion and time to perform the sit to stand test both at baseline and after the intervention.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
24
Inclusion Criteria
  • The sample will consist of 15 pregnant participants (ideally between the 2nd and 3rd trimester of gestation) with chronic idiopathic low back pain and a group of 15 non-pregnant women with chronic idiopathic low back pain.
Exclusion Criteria
  • Pregnant women with risk pregnancy will be excluded as well as low back pain with a known cause (e.g. radiculopathy) and all participants with serious pathologies (e.g. history of trauma, surgery for less than 12 months, neurological pathologies, tumors).

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
CROSSOVER
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Visual feedbackVisual feedbackParticipants will be asked to perform movements of the low back while looking at a mirror for visual feedback.
No visual feedbackNo visual feedbackParticipants will be asked to perform movements of the low back while the mirrors are covered and no visual feedback is provided.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain intensityImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Measured using the visual analogue scale, which measures pain intensity (range: 0-10 and higher values are indicative of higher pain intensity)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Pain locationImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Measured using a body chart

DisabilityImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Assessed using the Roland Morris Questionnaire, which assesses low back pain associated disability (range: 0-24 and higher values indicate higher disability)

Flexion range of motionImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

The distance between the 3rd finger and the floor is measured with a ruler when participants lean forward.

Time taken to sit and stand 5 timesImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Measured using the sit-to-stand test, i.e., the time, in seconds, that a participant takes to sit and stand from a common chair 5 consecutive times.

CatastrophizingImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (range 0-52 and higher values are indicative of higher pain catastrophizing)

Low back perceptionImmediately after the intervention (at 30 minutes)

Assessed by asking participants to draw how they perceive their low back to be

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Escola Superior de Saúde

🇵🇹

Aveiro, Portugal

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