Understanding the Effect of Epidural Steroid Injection in Lower Back Pain Using Inertial Measurement Unit Wearable Device

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common symptom leading to hospitalization and medical assistance. In the US, LBP is the fifth most prevalent case for visiting hospitals. Approximately 2.06 million LBP incidents were reported during the timeline between 2004 and 2008. Globally, LBP occurrence increased by almost 200 million from 1990 to 2017. This problem is further implicated by physical and financial constraints that impact the individual’s quality of life. The medical cost exceeded $87.6 billion, and the lifetime prevalence was 84%. This indicates that the majority of people in the US will experience this symptom. Also, LBP limits Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and possibly affects the gait and postural stability. Prior studies indicated that LBP patients have slower gait speed and postural instability. To alleviate this symptom, the epidural injection is prescribed to treat pain and improve mobility function. To evaluate the effectiveness of LBP epidural injection intervention, gait and posture stability was investigated before and after the injection. While these factors are the fundamental indicator of LBP improvement, ADL is an element that needs to be significantly considered. The physical activity level depicts a person’s dynamic movement during the day, it is essential to gather activity level that supports monitoring chronic conditions, such as LBP, osteoporosis, and falls. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of Epidural Steroid Injection (ESI) on LBP and related gait and postural stability in the pre and post-intervention status. As such, the second objective was to assess the influence of ESI on LBP, and how it influences the participant’s ADL physical activity level. The results indicated that post-ESI intervention has significantly improved LBP patient’s gait and posture stability, however, there was insufficient evidence to determine the significant disparity in the physical activity levels. In conclusion, ESI depicts significant positive effects on LBP patients’ gait and postural parameters, however, more verification is required to indicate a significant effect on ADL physical activity levels.