Low back pain was linked to slower walking in observational studies
A review found slower walking, fewer steps per minute, and shorter steps in people with nonspecific low back pain, but rated the evidence very low quality.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
People with nonspecific low back pain tended to walk more slowly, take fewer steps per minute, and have shorter steps than healthy comparison participants. The evidence was very low quality, and all included studies had methodological issues. These observations cannot determine whether pain changes walking, walking patterns contribute to pain, or other factors explain the association.
The review included cross-sectional evidence, which cannot establish temporal order or causation. Every included study had methodological issues, and findings for lower limb movement were inconsistent.
What was measured
Researchers used instruments to measure trunk and leg movements during participants' usual walking. The review compared those movement patterns between groups; it did not test a walking program or assess whether changing gait reduced pain.
Not all movements differed
Some studies reported reduced or uneven movement in the lower spine and pelvis. However, differences in leg movement did not recur consistently across studies, so the abstract does not support a single characteristic walking pattern.
The original publication
How non-specific low back pain affects gait kinematics: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Dal Farra F, Lopomo NF, Fascia M et al.
Front Pain Res (Lausanne) · 2025
- PubMed ID
- 41356462
- Record checked
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