Lumbar Proprioception in Lower Back Pain Patients Versus Healthy Subjects : a Comparative Study on the Effects of Low- and High-frequency Muscle Vibrations

Summary

The primary objective of this study is to compare the lumbar proprioception of patients with chronic back pain to that of healthy volunteers during low- and high-frequency muscle vibration.

The order of measures (low frequency of vibration, high frequency vibration and no vibration) is randomized in a cross-over design.

Patients and volunteers are matched by age and body mass index.

Conditions

• Back Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Calibration

Subjects will be seated on a table, feet dangling, blindfolded, arms crossed over the chest and held in place by bandages to minimize the visual and proprioceptive inputs that may contribute to the realization of the task. The investigator uses an electronic goniometer to measure the maximal extension and flexion during a pelvic pivot. These measures will be used to determine a "target" position midway along the pelvic movement range.

OTHER

Practice

Propioception test: The movement required is flexion - extension of the lumbar spine without moving the shoulders; it is a pelvic rocking motion. The patients will be helped to the target position by the investigator. After keeping the target position for 5 seconds, they will be asked to completely pivot the pelvis to a forward position, then return to the target position. Each subject will have three (non-measured) tries at the proprioception test without vibration, then three tries with low frequency vibration (20 Hertz), and then three tries with high frequency vibration (60 Hertz). Between each series of tries, a 2-minute rest period with walking is required.

OTHER

Measures - no vibration

The movements required are performed without vibration. The movement required is flexion - extension of the lumbar spine without moving the shoulders; it is a pelvic rocking motion. The patients will be helped to the target position by the investigator. After keeping the target position for 5 seconds, they will be asked to completely pivot the pelvis to a forward position, then return to the target position. This test is repeated five times. The investigator measures the lumbar angle using an electronic goniometer twice during each of the five tests: once after the patient is helped to the target angle, and once after the patient tries to "remember" the target angle by his/herself.

OTHER

Measures - low vibration

The movements required are performed with low frequency vibration (20 Hertz on following device: VIBRALGIC 5; manufacturer = Electronique Conseil). The movement required is flexion - extension of the lumbar spine without moving the shoulders; it is a pelvic rocking motion. The patients will be helped to the target position by the investigator. After keeping the target position for 5 seconds, they will be asked to completely pivot the pelvis to a forward position, then return to the target position. This test is repeated five times. The investigator measures the lumbar angle using an electronic goniometer twice during each of the five tests: once after the patient is helped to the target angle, and once after the patient tries to "remember" the target angle by his/herself.

OTHER

Measures - high vibration

The movements required are performed with low frequency vibration (20 Hertz on following device: VIBRALGIC 5; manufacturer = Electronique Conseil). The movement required is flexion - extension of the lumbar spine without moving the shoulders; it is a pelvic rocking motion. The patients will be helped to the target position by the investigator. After keeping the target position for 5 seconds, they will be asked to completely pivot the pelvis to a forward position, then return to the target position. This test is repeated five times. The investigator measures the lumbar angle using an electronic goniometer twice during each of the five tests: once after the patient is helped to the target angle, and once after the patient tries to "remember" the target angle by his/herself.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nīmes

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Arnaud Dupeyron, MD, PhD · Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

75 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2013-04-30

Primary Completion

2013-10-31

Completion

2013-10-31

Countries

• France

Study Locations