Abstract
We compared sites of low back pain indicated by patient between with and without pain provocation. The subjects were asked to indicate the site of their pain with the index finger in standing up straight without pain provocation and in a position provoking the pain, respectively. The site was outlined on the subject's skin after the indication. The sites identified with and without the provocation were compared in terms of surface area, accuracy, distribution and extent of the site. The surface area of the sites identified with the provocation was significantly smaller than that identified without the provocation. The identification with the provocation indicated more accurate site of the pain. The distributions of sites identified with the provocation were mostly different from the sites identified without the provocation. The extent of the sites identified with the provocation was significantly smaller. We conclude that indication of the pain site by patient with pain provocation result in more accurate identification of the site of low back pain.
