A descriptive study of physical function and performance in older black men with low back pain.
Dottington Fullwood, Staja Booker, Elizabeth Fallon and 5 others
PMID 37454422WHAT IT FOUND
Older Black men with chronic low back pain had moderate pain and limited function: average pain 5.7 out of 10, balance/gait/chair 8.5 out of 12, back tasks 7.0 out of 15, 400m walk 6.3 minutes.
Use as baselines, not treatment proof.
Key findings
01Participants averaged 5.7 pain intensity on a 0 to 10 scale and 8.5 on the SPPB total score, which ranges from 0 to 12.
02Mean BPS total score was 7.0 on a 0 to 15 scale, and mean 400m walk time was 6.3 minutes.
03Higher BPS total scores were associated with lower SPPB total scores (r = -0.54) and higher 400m walk times (r = 0.59).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used a convenience sample of 60 men recruited through community contacts, so it may not represent older Black men with low back pain more broadly. No power analysis was done, and the study was descriptive rather than testing an intervention. Participants were excluded for major cardiovascular, neurological, spinal surgery, inflammatory joint, or cardiac conditions, so the scores may not apply to more medically complex patients. Pain was measured after the performance tests, and detailed pain characteristics, medications, and radicular symptoms were not collected. Tests were given in a fixed order, not randomized, and correlations did not account for rest periods, so order and fatigue effects remain possible. The paper did not validate reference values or cut-off scores for older Black men.
Declared interests
The authors declared no funding or conflicts of interest; the article is listed as NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat these scores as validated cut-offs or as evidence that any treatment works. The study was descriptive, had no power analysis, used a convenience sample, and correlations did not prove cause.