# Is Acute Lower Back Pain Associated with Heart Rate Variability Changes? A Protocol for Systematic Reviews

## TL;DR

This paper outlines a systematic review protocol to explore if heart rate variability can be used to measure acute lower back pain.

## Contribution

The study introduces a systematic review protocol to investigate the relationship between heart rate variability and acute lower back pain.

## Key findings

- A systematic review protocol is proposed to evaluate the relationship between HRV and ALBP.
- The study aims to identify optimal HRV-based protocols for ALBP evaluation.
- The influence of interventions on the HRV-ALBP relationship will be analyzed.

## Abstract

Acute lower back pain (ALBP) is an extremely common musculoskeletal problem. ALBP consists of a sudden onset of short-duration pain in the lower back. However, repeated attacks can make the pain chronic. It can be measured through a self-report scale as well as through physical and physiological evaluations. Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has been used to evaluate the body’s response to pain. However, to the best of our knowledge, no clear consensus has been reached regarding the relationship between both variables and on an optimal protocol for ALBP evaluation based on HRV. The objective of this review is to analyze the relationship and effectiveness of HRV as an instrument for measuring ALBP. Furthermore, we consider the influence of different types of interventions in this relationship. The protocol of this review was previously recorded in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (number CRD42023437160). The PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and PubMed, WOS and Scopus databases are employed. Studies with samples of adults with ALBP are included. This study sets out a systematic review protocol to help identify the relationship between HRV and ALBP. Understanding this relationship could help in designing early detection or action protocols that alleviate ALBP.