Effects of Obesity and Chronic Low Back Pain on Gait
Author Information
Author(s): Cimolin Veronica, Vismara Luca, Galli Manuela, Zaina Fabio, Negrini Stefano, Capodaglio Paolo
Primary Institution: Bioengineering Department, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
Hypothesis
LBP combined with obesity might worsen the gait pattern of obese subjects.
Conclusion
The association of obesity and LBP affects gait patterns more severely than obesity alone.
Supporting Evidence
- OLG showed longer stance duration and shorter step length compared to OG and CG.
- No significant differences were found in ankle power generation at push-off between OLG and OG.
- OLG exhibited high power generation levels during stance, with the highest values compared to OG.
Takeaway
Being both obese and having back pain makes it harder to walk than just being obese.
Methodology
Participants included 8 obese females with chronic LBP, 10 obese females without LBP, and 10 healthy controls, assessed using Gait Analysis.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the exclusion of subjects with severe LBP or other conditions affecting gait.
Limitations
The study had a small sample size and was limited to women with moderate LBP.
Participant Demographics
All participants were female; 8 with chronic LBP, 10 obese without LBP, and 10 healthy controls.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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