Deficits in foot skin sensation are related to alterations in balance control in chronic low back patients experiencing clinical signs of lumbar nerve root impingement

摘要

Chronic low back pain (LBP) patients with radiculopathy, or sciatica, experience pain, tingling or numbness radiating down their leg due to compression of the lumbar nerve root. The resulting reduction in somatosensory information from the foot sole may contribute to deficits in standing balance control. This work was designed to investigate the relationship between foot skin sensitivity and standing balance control in chronic LBP patients with associated radiculopathy. Patients (n = 9) and matched healthy controls (n = 9) were recruited to the study, and were tested for balance control in both quiet standing as well as during rapid arm raise perturbation trials on a force plate. Foot skin sensitivity was tested bilaterally for vibratory threshold (3, 40 and 250 Hz) and touch (monofilament) threshold.