BACKGROUND: It has been established that Hyper-pronation of the foot may lead to postural changes in the lower limbs, with a resultant pelvic ante-version, and a subsequent risk of development of low back pain. However, the association between the presence of a hyper-pronated foot and the severity of disability in low back pain is currently not known.OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the presence of a hyper-pronated foot has any impact on the degree of severity of disability (functional status) in patients with non-specific low back pain.METHODS: An observational study was conducted in an outpatient setting, where patients diagnosed as having non-specific low back pain were included. The degree of severity of disability was measured using the Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, and the foot hyper-pronation was assessed with the execution of the Navicular Drop test. Descriptive statistics and Linear regression analyses were conducted.RESULTS: Of the 71 patients included, 14 demonstrated having a unilateral hyper-pronation of the foot. The mean scores for the functional status and hyper-pronation of the foot were 37.15 (SD = 10.40) and 6.06 (SD = 3.42) respectively. An association was not found between the severity of disability and the presence of foot hyper-pronation (B = .87, p = .78).CONCLUSIONS: Hyper-pronation of the foot could lead to the development of non-specific low back pain, but the degree of severity of the disability is not influenced by the presence of a hyper-pronated foot. The alterations in lower limb mechanics leading to back pain are a complex issue, and thus needs further research.
Adult Female