Hip and Trunk Variables in University Students with and without Recurrent Low Back Pain.
B J Lehecka, Jordin Burleson, Paige Diederich and 3 others
PMID 38313671WHAT IT FOUND
Students with recurrent low back pain had tiny hip motion differences versus controls.
The differences were too small to matter clinically, and strength and endurance did not differ.
Key findings
01Twenty-six university students were analyzed, including 10 with recurrent low back pain and 16 controls.
02Participants with recurrent low back pain had less bilateral hip flexion, less right hip adduction, and more right hip extension than controls, but the differences were 1-3 degrees with overlapping confidence intervals and were described as clinically non-meaningful.
03No statistically significant group differences were found for hip strength, single-leg bridge endurance, lumbar motion, or other hip motion measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study analyzed only 26 university students, with 10 in the recurrent low back pain group and 16 controls, so chance findings are likely. Participants were recruited as a convenience sample, not from a broader clinical or general population. The design was cross-sectional, so it cannot show whether hip or trunk differences caused or resulted from recurrent low back pain. Recurrent low back pain was self-reported, which can introduce reporting bias. Previous treatment received by students with recurrent low back pain, and the intensity and duration of their pain, were unknown. The significant hip motion differences were 1-3 degrees and had overlapping confidence intervals, so they may not matter clinically.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest, including financial arrangements, organizational affiliations, or other relationships.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the significant hip motion differences as a diagnostic marker for recurrent low back pain. The differences were very small, had overlapping confidence intervals, and the authors called them clinically non-meaningful; strength and endurance did not differ.