A Controlled Randomized Study of the Effect of Training With Orthoses on the Incidence of Weight Bearing Induced Back Pain Among Infantry Recruits.
Spine. 2005 Feb 1;30(3):272-275.
Milgrom C, Finestone A, Lubovsky O, Zin D, Lahad A.
On the basis of the above summation, the authors should be congratulated, for at least specifying (and including)a particular type of back pain; in this case weight-bearing induced.
Too many studies across many professions don't bother to do this, and thus their research is relatively meaningless.
"Non-specific back-pain" is an unnecessary overused term.
It has emerged because we are either too lazy or incapable of obtaining quality information from the patient and/or from our clinical examination.
I am presuming that weight-bearing induced back pain is eased by non-weightbearing and bedrest; while it is exacerbated by standing/walking, definitely carrying, and perhaps sitting.
These are the backs that predictably don't get better after their practitioner advises ('best practice') to walk and exercise. :confused:
I seem to remember reading a synopsis of a similar study in 'Gait and Posture', must be five years or so ago. The research was performed by Salford University Podiatry Dep't I believe, and also used a sample group of non - symptomatic, fit adults, to prove that they did not subsequently suffer back pain as measured against a non - orthotised control group who also did not go on to develop back pain. If someone remembers this study more accurately and I have mis- remembered please correct me. Personally, most Patients that I fit with orthotics come to me after developing symptoms and often have factors such as limb - length inequality, hyperpronation and internal tibial rotation, anterior / lateral pelvic tilts Etc Etc Etc that do IMHO seem to generally respond to orthotic intervention. Would not a study of subjective pain perception from symptomatic individuals +/- orthotic intervention be an interesting comparison?
Responsiveness of the short-form 36 and oswestry disability questionnaire in chronic nonspecific low back and lower limb pain treated with customized foot orthotics.
Ferrari R. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2007 Jul-Aug;30(6):456-8.