Body awareness disturbances in patients with low back pain: a systematic review

Background

The pain-neuroscience literature has recently emphasized body perception or awareness. Impaired body perception results have been reported in many different chronic pain problems. Studies have reported that individuals with low back pain (LBP) also have body perception disturbances related to the lumbar spine.

Objectives

This review aimed to determine the evidence that body awareness alterations in individuals with LBP.

Design

Systematic review.

Method

Studies were searched in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Pedro databases up to January 2021. Each database was searched independently, according to a specific iteration research string. The protocol record of the systematic review was entered into the PROSPERO system.

Results

Nine studies were included in this research. We found evidence to support more perceptual impairments in patients with LBP than healthy counterparts. In addition, the results of the studies showed an association between disrupted body awareness and pain severity, pain catastrophizing, and disability.

Conclusions

Body perception disturbances in LBP seem to be a promising path that needs to be further explored, with the ultimate goal of developing treatment contents targeting body awareness as a more comprehensive and valid evaluation and therapeutic method.

Trial registration

The registration number was CRD42021235934.