Low back pain significantly influences locomotive syndrome in older people: Evaluation using the 3-stage categories.

BACKGROUND

The Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) introduced the concept of locomotive syndrome (LS), which indicates a decline in mobility function by musculoskeletal disorders with new 3-staged category. Additionally, sarcopenia indicates a decline in the quantity and/or quality of skeletal muscle. However, the relationship between low back pain (LBP) and LS or sarcopenia in older people has not been sufficiently understood. This study aimed to investigate the association between them through a cross-sectional locomotorium survey.

METHODS

A total of 302 participants were drawn from the aquatic exercise participants in a rural area of Japan. The body mass index, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), spinal inclination angle (SIA), grip strength, timed up-and-go test (TUG), and maximum stride of the participants were measured. LBP and LBP-related quality of life (QOL) were evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analogue scale (VAS) of LBP, and the Short-Form 8 (SF-8). Associations between the investigating parameters and sarcopenia or LS were analyzed.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in the findings except grip strength between the non-sarcopenia and sarcopenia groups. However, the LS group showed significantly larger SIA, higher ODI, higher VAS of LBP, lower physical component score (PCS) of the SF-8, longer time in TUG, and lower value in maximum stride than the non-LS group. In addition, the ODI and PCS of the SF-8 significantly deteriorated as the LS stage progressed, and the GLFS-25 score was significantly correlated with ODI (r = 0.706, p < 0.001) and PCS (r = -0.643, p < 0.001) scores.

CONCLUSIONS

LBP, LBP-related QOL, and physical performance were found to be significantly associated with LS, not sarcopenia, with LBP-related QOL and physical function being closely correlated with 3-stage categories of LS. Thus, these results suggested that LBP is a key factor for LS prevalence.