{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T19:03:14Z","timestamp":1774378994785,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]],"date-time":"2025-01-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736812800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Hokuriku University Special Research Grant"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) after middle age is a complex multifactorial condition, and subgrouping is recommended to determine effective treatment strategies. Multidimensional data help create new groupings to increase the effectiveness of interventions in middle-aged and older adults with CLBP. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the factors associated with CLBP after middle age and to create and characterize a new subgroup based on these factors. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted and included 46 women aged \u226540 years with CLBP who participated in health events. Trunk muscle mass, lumbar movement control ability, autonomic balance, lumbar tenderness threshold, lumbar proprioception, and severity of central sensitization were assessed. Results: Partial correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between lumbar movement control ability and autonomic balance. A significant positive correlation was observed between trunk muscle mass and the lumbar tenderness threshold. Hierarchical clustering analysis identified three subgroups. The cluster 1 participants had low trunk muscle mass, low tenderness threshold, and low severity of central sensitization. The cluster 2 participants had low trunk muscle mass and tenderness threshold and high severity of central sensitization. The cluster 3 participants had high trunk muscle mass and tenderness threshold and were sympathetically predominant. Trunk muscle mass, pressure pain threshold, severity of central sensitization, and autonomic balance were significantly different between the clusters. Conclusions: Three characteristic subgroups were identified. The results contribute to treatment and prevention strategies for middle-aged and older adults with CLBP based on the characteristics of the subgroups rather than a uniform approach.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk10010030","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]],"date-time":"2025-01-14T03:29:43Z","timestamp":1736825383000},"page":"30","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Subgroup Characteristics of Middle-Aged and Older Women with Chronic Low Back Pain by Multiple Factors: A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"10","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4890-4223","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ryo","family":"Miyachi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Takaaki","family":"Nishimura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Masahiro","family":"Noguchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Akio","family":"Goda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Hiromichi","family":"Takeda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eisuke","family":"Takeshima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2838-6297","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuji","family":"Kanazawa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Hokuriku University, 1-1 Taiyogaoka, Kanazawa 920-1180, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tadashi","family":"Imai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Rehabilitation Center, Kanazawa Nishi Hospital, 6-15-41 Ekinishihonmachi, Kanazawa 920-0025, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Wataru","family":"Tanaka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Rehabilitation, Komatsu Sophia Hospital, 478 Okimachi, Komatsu 923-0861, Japan"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"482","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(11)60610-7","article-title":"Non-specific low back pain","volume":"379","author":"Mannion","year":"2012","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1688","DOI":"10.1002\/acr.22890","article-title":"Epidemiology of chronic low back pain in US adults: Data from the 2009\u20132010 national health and nutrition examination survey","volume":"68","author":"Shmagel","year":"2016","journal-title":"Arthritis Care Res."},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"968","DOI":"10.1136\/annrheumdis-2013-204428","article-title":"The global burden of low back pain: Estimates from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study","volume":"73","author":"Hoy","year":"2014","journal-title":"Ann. 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