TY - JOUR
T1 - People With Low Back Pain Exhibit Higher Trunk Muscle Activity and Impaired Postural Control During Static and Dynamic Functional Tasks
T2 - A Cross-Sectional Study
AU - Salamat, Sara
AU - Talebian, Saeed
AU - Maroufi, Nader
AU - Kalbassi, Gitta
AU - Salamat, Davood
AU - O'Sullivan, Kieran
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Human Kinetics, Inc.
PY - 2024/2
Y1 - 2024/2
N2 - The study compared superficial trunk muscle activity and postural control among an active extension subgroup of people with nonspecific chronic low back pain (AE-NSCLBP) with painfree controls during functional tasks. Thirty-two people (17 people with low back pain [LBP] and 15 painfree controls) participated in this study. Muscle activity of 5 trunk muscles and postural control were investigated during both standing tasks (eyes open/closed; single/double-leg balance) and dynamic functional tasks (spinal forward flexion and return, and a sit to stand transfer). Results showed that during single-leg standing, people with AE-NSCLBP exhibit higher muscle activity than painfree controls for 3 trunk muscles, especially with their eyes closed. There were no significant differences in muscle activity between eye conditions during double-leg standing and sit to stand transfer, forward flexion, and return from flexion. The AE-NSCLBP subgroup also demonstrated significantly impaired postural control (lower time to boundary) in 4 of 8 conditions, especially during single-leg standing and with their eyes closed. These findings show people with LBP typically demonstrated greater trunk muscle activity and poorer postural control while maintaining standing posture. This pattern was most evident when the postural challenge was higher, such as single-leg standing or with eyes closed.While this study design cannot infer causality, these findings have implications for LBP rehabilitation, particularly regarding approaches which seek to alter muscle activation among people with LBP.
AB - The study compared superficial trunk muscle activity and postural control among an active extension subgroup of people with nonspecific chronic low back pain (AE-NSCLBP) with painfree controls during functional tasks. Thirty-two people (17 people with low back pain [LBP] and 15 painfree controls) participated in this study. Muscle activity of 5 trunk muscles and postural control were investigated during both standing tasks (eyes open/closed; single/double-leg balance) and dynamic functional tasks (spinal forward flexion and return, and a sit to stand transfer). Results showed that during single-leg standing, people with AE-NSCLBP exhibit higher muscle activity than painfree controls for 3 trunk muscles, especially with their eyes closed. There were no significant differences in muscle activity between eye conditions during double-leg standing and sit to stand transfer, forward flexion, and return from flexion. The AE-NSCLBP subgroup also demonstrated significantly impaired postural control (lower time to boundary) in 4 of 8 conditions, especially during single-leg standing and with their eyes closed. These findings show people with LBP typically demonstrated greater trunk muscle activity and poorer postural control while maintaining standing posture. This pattern was most evident when the postural challenge was higher, such as single-leg standing or with eyes closed.While this study design cannot infer causality, these findings have implications for LBP rehabilitation, particularly regarding approaches which seek to alter muscle activation among people with LBP.
KW - nonspecific chronic low back pain
KW - surface electromyography
KW - time to boundary
KW - trunk muscle activation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85184344303&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1123/jab.2023-0033
DO - 10.1123/jab.2023-0033
M3 - Article
C2 - 37917963
AN - SCOPUS:85184344303
SN - 1065-8483
VL - 40
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Journal of Applied Biomechanics
JF - Journal of Applied Biomechanics
IS - 1
ER -