Multiplanar lumbopelvic control in patients with low back pain: is multiplanar assessment better than single plane assessment in discriminating between patients and healthy controls?

Objectives: Patients with low back pain (LBP) commonly have lumbopelvic control deficits. Lumbopelvic assessment during sagittal motion is incorporated into commonly used clinical examination algorithms for Treatment Based Classification. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether combined assessment of lumbopelvic control during sagittal and frontal plane motion discriminates between people with and without LBP better than single plane assessment alone.

Neuromuscular strategies for lumbopelvic control during frontal and sagittal plane movement challenges differ between people with and without low back pain.

Observation-based assessments of movement are a standard component in clinical assessment of patients with non-specific low back pain. While aberrant motion patterns can be detected visually, clinicians are unable to assess underlying neuromuscular strategies during these tests. The purpose of this study was to compare coordination of the trunk and hip muscles during 2 commonly used assessments for lumbopelvic control in people with low back pain (LBP) and matched control subjects.