oe BESS SS SSS
Correlations of Hip Mobility with Degree of
Back Pain and Lumbar Spinal Mobility in
Chronic Low-Back Pain Patients
GUY MELLIN, MD
Mobility of hips and lumber spine were measured in 301
‘men and 175 women who were in employment but sut-
fered from chronic or recurrent low-back pain. The
degree of low-back pain (LBP) was assessed with a ques-
tionnaire. Hip flexion, extension, intemal rotation, and
hamstring flexibility in the men, and hip flexion and
‘extension in the women had statistically significant nega-
tive correlations with LBP. Among the correlations
between hip and lumbar spinal mobility, hip flexion and
extension with lumber rotation were strongest. [Key
words: hip mobility, chronic low-back pain]
He PeLvis and the lower limbs form the basis forthe spine,
which implies that their posture and movements affect those
of the spine. Movements of the spine have been found to
relate to identifiable events in the gait cycle” and patients with
osteoarthross of the hip joint have been found to increase their
Spinal and pelvic movements when walking! which may increase
the load on the spine and cause low-back pain! Muscles cross-
ing the hips affect pelvic tt? and stretching them has been
recommended inthe treatment of low-back pain.*” The effect of
such stretching has not been tested scientifically.
“The relationships between hip mobility and low-back pain has
been studied in only a few reports. Decreased hip rotation was
found in adolescents with a history of low-back pain compared with
healthy controls Diminished hamstring flexibility has been found
in low-back patients! and asa residual sign of low-back trouble!
‘Decrease in hip flexion and extension, but not hamstring tightness,
correlated positively tothe degree of low-back pain in 54- to 63-
year-old men?
Tn the present study, the relationships ofhip mobility to low-back
pain and to lumbar spinal mobility were studied in men and women
with chronic or recurrent low-back pain.
SUBJECTS AND METHODS
Subjects. The subjects were selectéd based on information