Reliability and Validity of the Y-balance Test in Young Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain.
Yousef Alshehre, Khalid Alkhathami, Kelli Brizzolara and 2 others
PMID 34123515WHAT IT FOUND
Young adults with chronic low back pain reached shorter distances on the Y-balance test than matched pain-free adults.
Testers showed excellent agreement scoring the test after brief training. The test is portable and inexpensive.
Key findings
01In the chronic low back pain group, testers scored the Y-balance test with excellent agreement for anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral reach distances and the composite score.
02Participants with chronic low back pain had lower composite scores and shorter reach distances in all three directions than asymptomatic participants.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling. It included only young adults aged 18 to 40 years, so the results may not apply to older adults or the general population with chronic low back pain. Only 15 participants with chronic low back pain and 15 asymptomatic controls completed the study. Hip, knee, and ankle strength and joint range of motion were not measured, so other lower-limb factors may have affected the scores. Only one testing session was used to assess agreement between testers in the chronic low back pain group, because repeated testing could aggravate pain or fatigue.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read lower Y-balance scores as proof that treating pain will improve balance. The study compared people with and without chronic low back pain at one time point, and it did not measure hip, knee, or ankle strength or range of motion.