A Case-Control Study of the Effects of Chronic Low Back Pain in Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters.

Chronic low back pain and biomechanical walking imbalances are closely related. It is relevant to identify if there are alterations in spatiotemporal gait patterns in subjects with CLBP (cases) versus healthy subjects (controls) to plan training interventions of motor control gait patterns, and thus allowing normal physical activity of the individual. This study is intended to identify if spatiotemporal alterations occur in the gait cycle in CLBP subjects (cases) compared with a control group (healthy patients) analyzed with an OptoGait LED sensors gait program. METHOD: A total of n = 147 participants: n = 75 cases (CLBP) and n = 72 healthy controls subjects were studied with OptoGait gait program. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the two groups and both feet in foot stride, for the differences of the total stride and contact, for gait cadence and total stride length of the gait cycle (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CLBP may alter some normal gait patterns measured by OptoGait; this finding presents imbalances in gait cycle as an underlying factor. The gait is part of daily life of any individual and it is an important physical activity in relation to the maintenance of an optimal state of health. In addition, future studies are deemed necessary.

Assessment of Selected Spatio-Temporal Gait Parameters on Subjects with Pronated Foot Posture on the Basis of Measurements Using OptoGait. A Case-Control Study.

Walking is part of daily life and in asymptomatic subjects it is relatively easy. The physiology of walking is complex and when this complex control system fails, the risk of falls increases. As a result, gait disorders have a major impact on the older adult population and have increased in frequency as a result of population aging. Therefore, the OptoGait sensor is intended to identify gait imbalances in pronating feet to try to prevent falling and injury by compensating for it with treatments that normalize such alteration. This study is intended to assess whether spatiotemporal alterations occur in the gait cycle in a young pronating population (cases) compared to a control group (non-pronating patients) analyzed with OptoGait. METHOD: a total of n = 142 participants consisting of n = 70 cases (pronators) and n = 72 healthy controls were studied by means of a 30 s treadmill program with a system of 96 OptoGait LED sensors. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the two groups and both feet in stride length and stride time, gait cycle duration and gait cadence (in all cases p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: pronating foot posture alters normal gait patterns measured by OptoGait; this finding presents imbalance in gait as an underlying factor. Prevention of this alteration could be considered in relation to its relationship to the risk of falling in future investigations.