Impact of low back pain on fear of movement and functional activities

Abstract

Fear is an uncomfortable feeling, which results from the proximity of actual threat or pain. A strong correlation exists between fear and pain. Kinesiophobia is the phobia of activity and physical movement, which results from a sensation of sensitivity to painful injury or reinjury. Low back pain (LBP) is among the frequent disorders of the musculoskeletal system. LBP is mainly due to bad postures and poor organisational ergonomics. Kinesiophobia has adverse effects on rehabilitation outcomes. So the systematic application of graded exposure to movements is recommended in patients with Kinesiophobia to prevent pain-related anxiety. We compared Kinesiophobia's impact on patients with both acute and chronic LBP. We aimed to find out the role of Kinesiophobia in patients having LBP. The survey-based research using Tampa scale of Kinesiophobia was conducted with cross-sectional design. It included participants of both genders,in the age group of 18-65 who were diagnosed with acute and chronic low back pain. Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, Evaluation Performa, NPRS and Goniometer were used as outcome measures for the study. The patients were thoroughly examined, and they were evaluated using the Tampa Scale. Scoring to 17-items Tampa Scale was performedin4-point Likert scale varying from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.” After the inversion of items 4, 8, 12, 16, the final score was determined. The total score ranges from a minimum of 17 to a maximum of 68. It was concluded that Kinesiophobia plays a crucial role in LBP, especially chronic LBP.