The study followed 569 lower back pain patients, with or without leg pain, who were treated non-surgically and assessed how degenerative MRI findings and the quality of the multifidus observed on MRI scans influenced pain intensity and the degree of functional impairment after 12 months.
The study shows that changes in the structure of the back muscles may play a role in the development of leg pain and functional impairment, but there is no clear link to changes in lower back pain. The results suggest that the quality of the multifidus and degenerative changes in the spine may affect pain and function in different ways, but the effects appear to be complex and independent of each other.
The study found that:
- Better quality of the multifidus may contribute to a slight improvement in functional levels after 12 months.
- More degenerative MRI findings in the lower back were associated with a slight increase in the intensity of leg pain after 12 months.
- No association was found between the quality of the multifidus or the total number of degenerative MRI findings and the intensity of lower back pain.
Jeffrey R. Cooley, Tue S. Jensen, Per Kjaer, Angela Jacques, Jean Theroux, Jeffrey J. Hebert. Spinal degeneration and lumbar multifidus muscle quality may independently affect clinical outcomes in patients conservatively managed for low back or leg pain. Scientific Reports 2024.