【Introduction】
Low back pain is one of the most common complaints worldwide, and chronic low back pain, in particular, significantly reduces patients' quality of life and imposes limitations on their daily activities. This study aims to determine whether the distance from the tip of the chin to the floor (Chin-Floor Distance: CFD) when raising the upper body from a prone position can predict the presence of chronic low back pain one year later.
【Methods】
This study was conducted on adults who participated in the Musculoskeletal Examination for Community Residents from Locomotive Syndrome and Health Outcomes in the Aizu Cohort (LOHAS) study held in 2008. For each participant, the Chin-Floor Distance (CFD) was measured from a prone position, using this value as an indicator of spinal extension capacity. Simultaneously, a questionnaire was administered to assess the presence of chronic low back pain (defined as pain lasting for three months or more). A follow-up survey was conducted one year later to determine whether chronic low back pain had developed. Those who developed chronic low back pain were classified into the chronic low back pain onset group, while those who did not were assigned to the control group.
【Results】
Out of the 1,920 participants, 238 were classified into the chronic low back pain onset group, while 1,682 were placed in the control group. The mean CFD measurement was 12.6 cm in the onset group and 16.5 cm in the control group, indicating a significant difference between the groups (p < 0.001). Furthermore, multivariate analysis, adjusted for age, gender, smoking habit, and lumbar flexion range of motion (Finger-Floor Distance), demonstrated that for each 1 cm decrease in CFD, the risk of chronic low back pain one year later decreased by a factor of 1.08.
【Discussion】
The CFD used in this study is considered to be an indicator that reflects spinal extension mobility and back muscle strength, and its potential contribution to predicting the onset of chronic low back pain has been suggested. However, further investigation is necessary to clarify how spinal extension mobility and back muscle strength are involved in CFD. Additionally, it remains a subject for future research to determine whether improving CFD through exercise intervention can reduce the incidence of chronic low back pain.
It has been suggested that evaluating spinal extension capacity using CFD may be useful for predicting the presence of chronic low back pain. These findings could potentially contribute to the development of more effective preventive measures for chronic low back pain.