Objective: This study aimed to examine the association between low back pain (LBP) related disability and functional mobility in individuals with Parkinson disease (PD).

Background: Parkinson disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that predominantly affects older adults.  Sensory impairments, particularly musculoskeletal pain are common non-motor symptom in PD. Low back pain (LBP) is a frequent complaint in PD patients and may contribute to further deterioration of functional mobility. However, there is a lack of comprehensive research examining LBP-related disability and its impact on functional mobility in this population, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Sri Lanka. Understanding the association between LBP-related disability and functional mobility may help identify strategies to improve quality of life for individuals living with PD.

Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among individuals diagnosed with PD attending a movement disorder clinic in Sri Lanka. An interview-administered questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic information, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to identify LBP-related disability. Functional mobility was assessed using Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, under both single-task and dual-task conditions. Descriptive and correlation analysis were done using SPSS version 25.0. The level of significance was set at p<0.05. LBP-related disability was considered the independent variable, while functional mobility outcomes were treated as dependent variables in the analysis.

Results: Among 101 participants (mean age=67.31±7.42 years), 67.3%(N=68) reported LBP, pain lasting more than 12 weeks was reported by 38.6% (n = 39) of participants, while 61.8% (n = 42) experienced localized pain.

The mean single-task TUG test score was 15.70±5.68 Seconds, while the dual task-TUG score was 23.13±10.85 Seconds. A moderate to strong positive correlation was observed between LBP-related disability and impaired functional mobility (r=0.522, p=0.000).

Conclusion: LBP is highly prevalent among individuals with PD. Higher levels of LBP-related disability were significantly associated with poorer functional mobility. Therefore, targeted interventions addressing LBP should be prioritized in the management of PD to enhance functional mobility and improve quality of life.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-association-of-low-back-pain-related-disability-with-functional-mobility-among-individuals-with-parkinson-disease-in-sri-lanka/