Investigation of the effect of scapula position on balance and functionality in individuals with chronic low back pain

The aim of our study was to examine the scapula position of individuals with chronic low back pain and healthy individuals, and to determine its relationship with balance functionality and proprioception. Our study included chronic low back pain (n=40) and healthy individuals (n=41) with similar age group and physical characteristics, who had pain complaints for at least 3 months. The pain intensity of the individuals was evaluated with a visual analog scale and pain tolerance was evaluated with an algometer. Lateral scapular slip test was used for scapular position evaluation. The functionality of individuals in daily living activities was evaluated with the Oswestry Disability Index and body awareness was evaluated with the Fremantle Waist Awareness Questionnaire. In order to evaluate the proprioception of individuals, measurements were made using an inclinometer device in lumbar flexion with eyes open/closed conditions and lumbar extension positions with eyes open/closed conditions. Biodex balance system was used to evaluate the dynamic and static balances of individuals. In our study, when the difference between healthy and chronic low back pain groups was examined, no significant relationship was found in terms of proprioception (p=0.084), pain tolerance (p=0.64) and scapula position (p=0.570). However, a significant difference was found between individuals in left foot dynamic (p=0.036) and static (p=0.035) and dynamic bipedal (p=0.039) balance. Keywords: Pain, Balance, Functionality, Chronic Low Back Pain, Scapula Position