Self-Myofascial Release of the Superficial Back Line Improves Sit-and-Reach Distance

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 400-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Whitney Williams ◽  
Noelle M. Selkow

Context: Decreased hamstring flexibility can lead to a plethora of musculoskeletal injuries, including low back pain, hamstring strains, and patellofemoral pain. Lack of flexibility may be the result of myofascial adhesions. The fascia connected to the hamstrings is part of the superficial back line that runs from the cranium to the plantar aspect of the foot. Any disruption along this chain may limit the flexibility of the hamstring. Objective: To investigate if self-myofascial release (SMR) of the plantar surface of the foot in addition to the hamstring group was more effective at improving the flexibility of the hamstrings when compared with either intervention alone. Design: Cross-over study. Setting: Athletic training facility. Participants: Fifteen college students (5 males and 10 females; age: 20.9 [1.4] y, height: 173.1 [10.3] cm, mass: 80.0 [24.9] kg) who were not older than 30, with no history of low back pain or injury within the past 6 months, no history of leg pain or injury within the past 6 months, no current signs or symptoms of cervical or lumbar radicular pain, no current complaint of numbness or tingling in the lower-extremity, and no history of surgery in the lower-extremity or legs. Interventions: Each participant received each intervention separated by at least 96 hours in a randomized order: hamstring foam rolling, lacrosse ball on the plantar surface of the foot, and a combination of both. Main Outcome Measures: The sit-and-reach test evaluated hamstring flexibility of each participant before and immediately after each intervention. Results: There were no significant differences found among the SMR techniques on sit-and-reach distance (F2,41 = 2.7, P = .08, ). However, at least 20% of participants in each intervention improved sit-and-reach distance by 2.5 cm. Conclusions: SMR may improve sit-and-reach distance, but one technique of SMR does not seem to be superior to another.

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 466-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Bunn ◽  
Terry L. Grindstaff ◽  
Joseph M. Hart ◽  
Jay Hertel ◽  
Christopher D. Ingersoll

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Sutherlin ◽  
L. Colby Mangum ◽  
Shawn Russell ◽  
Susan Saliba ◽  
Jay Hertel ◽  
...  

Context: Reduced spinal stabilization, delayed onset of muscle activation, and increased knee joint stiffness have been reported in individuals with a history of low back pain (LBP). Biomechanical adaptations resulting from LBP may increase the risk for future injury due to suboptimal loading of the lower-extremity or lumbar spine. Assessing landing mechanics in these individuals could help identify which structures might be susceptible to future injury. Objective: To compare vertical and joint stiffness of the lower-extremity and lumbar spine between individuals with and without a previous history of LBP. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Research laboratory. Participants: There were 45 participants (24 without a previous history of LBP—age 23 [8] y, height 169.0 [8.5] cm, mass 69.8 [13.8] kg; 21 with a previous history of LBP—age 25[9] y, height 170.0 [8.0] cm, mass 70.2 [11.8] kg). Interventions: Single-limb landing trials on the dominant and nondominant limb from a 30-cm box. Main Outcome Measures: Vertical stiffness and joint stiffness of the ankle, knee, hip, and lumbar spine. Results: Individuals with a previous history of LBP had lower vertical stiffness (P = .04), but not joint stiffness measures compared with those without a previous history of LBP (P > .05). Overall females had lower vertical (P = .01), ankle (P = .02), and hip stiffness (P = .04) compared with males among all participants. Males with a previous history of LBP had lower vertical stiffness compared with males without a previous history LBP (P = .01). Among all individuals without a previous history of LBP, females had lower vertical (P < .01) and ankle stiffness measures (P = .04) compared with males. Conclusions: Landing stiffness may differ among males and females and a previous history of LBP. Comparisons between individuals with and without previous LBP should be considered when assessing landing strategies, and future research should focus on how LBP impacts landing mechanics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 1750.1-1750
Author(s):  
M. Aghaei ◽  
S. Sedighi ◽  
M. Hassani ◽  
M. R. Damirchi

Background:Osteoporosis is a common rheumatologic disorder in postmenopausal women which could lead to morbidities later in life. However, this condition has not been properly studied in premonapausal women.During pregnancy, the fetus needs a total of 30 grams of calcium for its skeleton and during lactation, 200 mg of calcium is secreted in the breast milk per day which the mother acquires by doubling its intestinal absorption rate. If the calcium intake of the mother is not sufficient to satisfy the fetus’ needs, it will be provided by bone resorption, which will decrease the maternal calcium reserves [1].Pregnancy and Lactation Associated Osteoporosis (PLAO) is a rare condition associated with pregnancy that should be considered in premenopausal women. The most commonly affected sites are the vertebrae and, more rarely, the hips, pubic rami and ribs [2].An important complication of osteoporosis is fracture and a preemptive diagnosis and treatment thereof, can have drastic effects on the quality of life.Objectives:Our objective is to document the relevant risk factors, present signs and symptoms, course of illness, and response to treatment in three cases of PLAO. It is quite possible that osteoporosis in pregnancyand lactation is more frequent than recognized, simply because it is only recognized when an-unexpected fracture occurs[3]. Thus, in this article we are presenting three cases that showcase the need for more rigorous research on PLAO risk factors, the need for screening in high risk patients, and the advantages of early detection in patients’ outcome.Methods:The clinical cases of the patients whose PLAO diagnoses had been confirmed by both a radiologist and a rheumatologist in the past year was extracted. Information related to demographic indices, clinical manifestations, and the treatment methods was evaluated and compared.Results:In the past year, three patients with a chief complaint of low-back pain have visited our clinic. The first, a 22-year-old woman with a nursing history of 2 months, the next one, a 31-year-old woman with a nursing history of 3 months, and the last, a 22-year-old woman with a nursing history of 4 months. All three patients had low back pain and tenderness. Two out of three patients had deficient vitamin D levels and the other had a normal one. All three patients had low BMD in lumbar vertebra and MRI imagings indicative of osteoporotic fracture.Table 1.General and pregnancy-relatedcharacteristics of the case studiesVariablesCase 1Case 2Case 3Age223122Nursing duration2 months3months4monthsBMD(lumbar spine)-3.6-3.5-3.1Vitamin D level12.6(ng/ml)31.6(ng/ml)8(ng/ml)FractureT12,L1T4,5,6,7,10,L2L1,2,3,4,5Conclusion:Since the symptoms of PLAO are often confused with pain in other low-back pain conditions associated with pregnancy, PLAO is a mostly overlooked diagnosis[4]. It is only recognized when an unexpected fracture occurs [3]Therefore, high risk patients with less severe symptoms are usually not diagnosed and thusly, should undergo a proper screening test, so that they are recognized early and the morbid sequelae are averted.References:[1]Kovacs, C. S., and S. H. Ralston. “Presentation and Management of Osteoporosis Presenting in Association with Pregnancy or Lactation.”Osteoporosis International, vol. 26, no. 9, 2015, pp. 2223–2241., doi:10.1007/s00198-015-3149-3.[2]Gregorio, Silvana Di, et al. “Osteoporosis with Vertebral Fractures Associated with Pregnancy and Lactation.”Nutrition, vol. 16, no. 11-12, 2000, pp. 1052–1055., doi:10.1016/s0899-9007(00)00430-5.[3]Bartl, Reiner, and Christoph Bartl. “The Osteoporosis Manual.” 2019, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-00731-7.[4]Eroglu, Semra, et al. “Evaluation of Bone Mineral Density and Its Associated Factors in Postpartum Women.”Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, vol. 58, no. 6, 2019, pp. 801–804., doi:10.1016/j.tjog.2019.09.013.Disclosure of Interests:None declared


2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (5) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Hart ◽  
D. Casey Kerrigan ◽  
Julie M. Fritz ◽  
Christopher D. Ingersoll

Abstract Context: Isolated lumbar paraspinal muscle fatigue causes lower extremity and postural control deficits. Objective: To describe the change in body position during gait after fatiguing lumbar extension exercises in persons with recurrent episodes of low back pain compared with healthy controls. Design: Case-control study. Setting: Motion analysis laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-five recreationally active participants with a history of recurrent episodes of low back pain, matched by sex, height, and mass with 25 healthy controls. Intervention(s): We measured 3-dimensional lower extremity and trunk kinematics before and after fatiguing isometric lumbar paraspinal exercise. Main Outcome Measure(s): Measurements were taken while participants jogged on a custom-built treadmill surrounded by a 10-camera motion analysis system. Results: Group-by-time interactions were observed for lumbar lordosis and trunk angles (P &lt; .05). A reduced lumbar spine extension angle was noted, reflecting a loss of lordosis and an increase in trunk flexion angle, indicating increased forward trunk lean, in healthy controls after fatiguing lumbar extension exercise. In contrast, persons with a history of recurrent low back pain exhibited a slight increase in spine extension, indicating a slightly more lordotic position of the lumbar spine, and a decrease in trunk flexion angles after fatiguing exercise. Regardless of group, participants experienced, on average, greater peak hip extension after lumbar paraspinal fatigue. Conclusions: Small differences in response may represent a necessary adaptation used by persons with recurrent low back pain to preserve gait function by stabilizing the spine and preventing inappropriate trunk and lumbar spine positioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 1206-1212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eduardo Martinez-Valdes ◽  
Fiona Wilson ◽  
Neil Fleming ◽  
Sarah-Jane McDonnell ◽  
Alex Horgan ◽  
...  

Ergonomics ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corinne S. Babiolakis ◽  
Jennifer L. Kuk ◽  
Janessa D.M. Drake

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