Pain threshold of low back in patients with diversified level of physical activity without pain symptoms

Professional work in a sitting position and the low level of physical activity could be an important cause of overload symptoms formation in the lumbar spine. Objective of the work: The evaluation quantity of the low back pain threshold in patients without pain symptoms, with diversified level of physical activity. The research was conducted in group 40 subjects at the age of 20 to 25, IT specialists and physiotherapists. The participants could participate in the study under the condition that they have never had low back pain before. Patients from the experimental group were divided into 3 categories: active (13 patients), minimally active (18 patients) and inactive (9 patients). The division was made on the basis of The International Physical Activity Questionnaire – Short Form. The pain threshold was determined by an algometer, every time, on both sides of the spine at the level of L3 and in neutral point on hand, the test was performed twice. Analysis of variance ANOVA showed a main effect of level of physical activity for the pain threshold results on the pine left (F = 8.01; p < 0.05) and right site (F = 9.77; p < 0.05). There has not been demonstrated such effect for the pain threshold results around hand (F = 0.62, p > 0.05). Lower quantity of low back pain threshold occurs in the patients with inactive and minimal active declared physical activity level. This indicates the need of low back pain prevention, which could be achieved by increasing physical activity level. The people without pain symptoms do not show asymmetry of the pain threshold between the right and the left side.