Hip Flexor Tightness Related with Limited Lumbar Mobility in Low Back Pain Patients
Keywords:
iliopsoas, muscle length, strength, sitting, range of motionAbstract
Low back pain (LBP) is caused by the imbalance of muscle length and strength of hip muscles, by which agonist muscles affecting range of motion and the strength of antagonist muscles. The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between hip flexor muscle tightness and lumbar mobility limitation. The data of LBP patients were obtained from medical records of Physical Therapy Center, Mahidol University, 800 cases totally. The relationships between hip flexor muscle tightness and lumbar mobility limitation, also, job description, and the strength of hip extensor muscle were investigated by descriptive statistics and Chi-square test. As for the results, a statistical significant association between hip flexor muscle tightness and lumbar limitation of flexion, extension, lateral flexion, and rotation were found. Altogether 512 LBP patients were routinely engaged in sitting position. Moreover, there were relationships between hip flexor tightness and sitting posture, and between hip flexor tightness and decreased strength of hip extensor muscle. In conclusions, hip flexor muscle tightness was associated with limited movement of lumbar spine in all directions, which had resulted in decreased strength of hip extensor muscle; and prolonged sitting was found to be associated with the increased muscle tightness. From the results, a negative effect of hip flexor muscle tightness was observed in the patients with low back pain.
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