Abstract

Effective diagnosis and treatment of workers suffering from chronic low back pain require the application of objective measurements of their deficiencies or their function. The authors of this report evaluated the predictive validity of two biomechanical tests for assessing certain lumbar deficiencies in relation to the presence or absence of chronic low back pain. The first test is used to estimate the endurance capacity of the dorsal muscles, while the second serves to quantify the reflex response to stretching. Both were sensitive to the differences between the genders. However, only the endurance test was sensitive to the presence of chronic low back pain.

The authors believe that other work is necessary to properly validate each of these tests. A larger sample of subjects would allow the existence of interactions between gender and the presence of low back pain to be evaluated, as well as adaptations to be made in relation to certain confounding variables defined in this study. Ultimately, once these tests have been perfected, they will improve follow-up on the evolution of patients undergoing rehabilitation, as well as validation of the specific intervention modalities for reversing their specific problems and allow a more definite statement to be made about their return to work.