Proprioception is the sense of knowing where body parts are and how they are moving. Older adults with chronic low back pain seem to have impaired proprioception at the ankle joint, even when controlling for age and sex.
The purpose of these examinations were to investigate the relationship between ankle proprioception, low back pain, and motor dysfunction in elderly subjects. The results suggest that there is a high probability of a link between abnormal motion of the ankle joint during movement and pain in the low back.
It may be possible to improve ankle proprioception in elderly people who have poor control and/or exercise their spines as part of a treatment management program. Chiropractors are trained on the importance of examining the whole body to address contributing causes for complaints of pain.
Recommendations for early intervention, treatment, and prevention of chronic low back pain that may arise from impaired ankle proprioception, by addressing gait deficits at both the proximal and distal phases of the stride cycle and a thorough examination provided by your chiropractic physician.