Comparison of core endurance and hamstring flexibility in adults with and without low back pain in Peshawar; a cross-sectional study

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is “the pain, muscle tension, or stiffness on the posterior side from the inferior margin of 12th rib to the gluteal fold”. LBP is the leading cause of disability and 6th in terms of overall global burden of diseases. Therefore, it is important to identify factors leading to LBP. Objectives: To assess and compare the core endurance and hamstring flexibility in adults with and without LBP. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional research was conducted on LBP and non-low-back pain participants at tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar. The study used a non-probability convenient sampling technique, the sample size of 82 subjects was divided into two groups: group A of LBP and group A of LBP and group B of non-low-back pain. Both genders of 18-50 years with a BMI of 18.5-29.9 were included. McGill’s core endurance and sit-and-reach tests were applied for data collection. Mann Whitney U test and independent sample t-test were used. Results: A total of 82 adults participated in this study. The Mann-Whitney U test revealed a significant difference in the flexors (U=0.00, p < .001), extensors (U=25.5, p < .001), right side flexors (U=151.0, p < .001), and left side flexors (U=218, p < .001) in LBP adults when compared to NLBP. The “independent-samples t-test” showed a significant difference (t= -2.20, df=80, p = 0.03) in the hamstring length between Group A (13.04 ± 2.84), and Group B (14.73 ± 3.97). Conclusion: A statistically significant difference exists in the core musculature’s endurance as well as in the length of the hamstring muscles between adult subjects with LBP and those who do not have LBP.