| Association Between Foot Posture Index and Balance in Patients With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain |
| Paper ID : 1750-SPORTCONGRESS |
| Authors |
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Roqayeh Mohammadi1, Mohammad Karimizadeh Ardakani *2 1Department Sport injury and corrective exercises, Faculty of sports and health sciences of university of Tehran, Tehran 2Department of Sport injury and corrective exercises, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Health, University of Tehran |
| Abstract |
| Introduction: Alterations in foot structure, particularly flexible flatfoot, may influence postural control mechanisms in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP). Given the role of the foot in proprioceptive input, investigating its relationship with balance performance could reveal compensatory strategies in this population.This study aimed to examine the correlation between flexible flatfoot and static balance in individuals with NCLBP. Methods: Twenty-six female participants aged 18 to 30 with NCLBP were recruited for this cross-sectional study. The navicular drop test (NDT) was used to assess the longitudinal arch of both feet. Static balance was evaluated using the Sharpened Romberg test and quantified via the overall stability index with postural stability test with biodex balance. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine relationships between foot posture and balance performance. Results: A strong and statistically significant correlation was observed between the navicular drop test (NDT) scores of the right and left foot (Spearman’s ρ = 0.857, p < 0.01), indicating a high degree of structural symmetry in foot posture among participants. In contrast, no significant correlation was found between NDT scores and the static balance index (Overall stability index in postural stability test) (ρ = –0.031 for right foot, ρ = –0.086 for left foot; p > 0.6), suggesting that variations in foot posture are not directly associated with static balance performance in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP). Conclusion: While foot posture symmetry is evident in NCLBP patients, its impact on postural control appears limited. These findings suggest that compensatory mechanisms for maintaining balance may rely more on proprioceptive reweighting from other body segments rather than foot alignment alone. Early identification and targeted interventions may help mitigate functional impairments in this population. |
| Keywords |
| Balance, Flat foot, Nonspecific chronic low back pain |
| Status: Abstract Accepted (Poster Presentation) |
