Accurate proprioception is a critical feedback loop when we are moving our bodies. Proprioception includes joint position, the sensation of force, and sensations related to descending motor commands and control.
Alteration of proprioception for patients with low back pain can be devastating. It can feed into fear avoidance behavior and limit their desire to move. Deficits in proprioception have also been attributed to impaired afferent input from paraspinal muscle spindles and changes to central processing.
This study found that patients with low back pain had an altered accuracy of trunk movement, excessive drift, and an overestimation of trunk extension force when visual feedback wasn’t present.
For patients with low back pain, movement-based treatment is essential. The input that the central nervous system receives during spinal manipulation may be important for re-establishing proper proprioception, joint kinematics, and accelerating recovery. Pairing spinal manipulation with guided exercise can deliver fantastic results for people looking to overcome low back pain.
“Deficits in proprioception are commonly reported in people with low back pain.”
“A common view is that muscle spindles along with contributions from skin and joint receptors are responsible for the sense of position and movement, and tendon organs provide the sense of tension.”
“Our interpretation of these results is that people with cLBP perceived that the back muscles were generating more force than actual. …the sensory deficit might not be due to a dysfunction of local muscle receptors, but might be related to a central perceptual deficit.”
We believe patients have better outcomes when their
health professionals work together.
