Fbm. Ensink et al., LUMBAR RANGE OF MOTION - INFLUENCE OF TIME OF DAY AND INDIVIDUAL FACTORS ON MEASUREMENTS, Spine (Philadelphia, Pa. 1976), 21(11), 1996, pp. 1339-1343
Study Design. Influence of time of day and individual factors on the m
easurements of the lumbar range of motion was investigated. Objectives
. To investigate factors that influence lumbar range of motion. Summar
y of Background Data. Twenty-nine patients with chronic low back pain
participated in the study. Methods. The lumbar range of motion was mea
sured by inclinometer technique, Schober sign, modified-Schober sign,
and fingertip-to-floor method in the morning, at noon, and in the afte
rnoon. The lumbar range of motion was correlated with patients' gender
, age, and body weight. Results. Total lumbar range of motion measured
by the inclinometer technique and the modified-Schober sign increased
significantly throughout the day from morning to afternoon. Extension
lumbar range of motion was shown to be independent of the time of mea
surement. There were no significant correlations between lumbar range
of motion and gender, age, and body weight of the patients. Conclusion
. For the reliability of a measurement, its is important to investigat
e lumbar range of motion at the same time of day.