Abstract: BACKGROUND: There have been many studies on biofeedback therapy and three-dimensional gait function analysis for chronic non-specific low back pain at home and abroad, but few studies on the combination of the two have been reported.
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of biofeedback assisted electrical stimulation on the change of walking ability in chronic non-specific low back pain by collecting gait parameter data through three-dimensional gait analysis.
METHODS: Sixty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain, 34 males and 26 females, aged 32-58 years, were selected and admitted to First Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Pharmaceutical University from June 2021 to September 2022. They were divided into control group (n=30) and trial group (n=30) according to the principle of random allocation. Both groups of patients received conventional treatment of dynamic interference with the waist, 20 minutes/time, once/day, 5 times a week, for 20 times. The control group received supine bypass and prone bypass suspension core muscle training on the basis of conventional treatment, 5 times a week, for 20 times. The trial group received biofeedback assisted electrical stimulation therapy on the basis of the control group, 20 minutes/ time, once/day, 5 times a week, for 20 times. The low back pain score, the mean value of electromyography and the gait parameters were compared and analyzed before and after treatment between the two groups.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) After treatment, the numerical rating scale score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, and Oswestry disability index of the two groups were significantly improved compared with those before treatment (P < 0.05). Numerical rating scale score, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, and Oswestry disability index of the trial group were better than those of the control group (P < 0.05). (2) After treatment, the mean values of surface electromyography of rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae muscle in the two groups were higher than those before treatment (P < 0.05), and the mean values of surface electromyography of rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, and erector spinae muscle in the trial group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). (3) After treatment, the step width, step speed, step frequency, step length ratio between healthy and diseased sides, the relative value of support between healthy and diseased sides, the relative value of swing between diseased and healthy sides, the sagittal motion range of hip joint and knee joint between healthy and diseased sides and the foot angle between healthy and diseased sides were all better than those before treatment in both groups (P < 0.05). The above indexes of the trial group were better than those of the control group after treatment (P < 0.05). (4) These results suggest that biofeedback assisted electrical stimulation can significantly alleviate chronic non-specific low back pain, and improve the lower limb walking function.

Key words: three-dimensional gait, biofeedback assisted electrical stimulation, chronic non-specific low back pain, walking function, core stability training