Relationship Between Trunk Muscle Thickness, Disability, and Pain in Middle and Old Aged Patients With Low Back Pain

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between trunk muscle thickness, disability, and pain in low back pain in middle age and old age.

Methods

Forty-two patients with low back pain were included in this study. Pain intensity was analyzed using the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), disability was assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and ultrasonography imaging was used to determine the thickness of the rectus abdominis, lumbar multifidus, and erector spinae muscles.

Results

The thickness of the lumbar multifidus and erector spinae muscles was significantly negatively associated with the disability in middle-aged and old-aged patients with low back pain (p < .01). Also, there is a significant relationship between the lumbar multifidus muscle and pain (p < .01) in both middle and old-aged patients. A significant positive association was found between disability and pain (p < .01).

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that pain and disability are strongly associated with the thickness of the lumbar muscles in low back pain in middle age and old age. An investigation into the muscular characteristics of the lumbar area can give valuable insights into the condition of low back pain patients and offer information relevant to the development of patient treatment techniques in clinical settings.