Comparing Muscle Activity and Spine Shape in Various Sitting Styles

Biofeedback ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 62-67
Author(s):  
Erik Peper ◽  
Björn Krüger ◽  
Esther Gokhale ◽  
Richard Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Muscle Activity ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Upper Trapezius ◽  
Spine Shape ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Right ◽  
Semg Activity

Lower back pain is experienced by approximately 70% of the world's population, contributing to the worldwide burden of disease. Americans experience lower back pain at an estimated economic cost of $560–$635 billion. One contributing factor for back pain is posture, and more particularly, lack of awareness of dysfunctional posture. For example, many people sit in a slouched or forward-bent position, exacerbated by poor ergonomics while sitting or extended use of handheld digital devices while standing, such as looking down at a smartphone for long periods of time. This report describes a stacksitting technique that is one of the components of the Gokhale Method® for healthy, relaxed sitting and increased awareness of posture. The stacksitting process is illustrated with a case study, where the shape of the spine and the muscle activity are analyzed in parallel during three sitting styles: slouching, arched, and stacksitting. The spine curvature was characterized by the Gokhale SpineTracker™ wearable, which consists of five sensor units attached along the subjects' spines that are used to plot the spinal curve on a digital device such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Surface electromyographic (SEMG) recordings were made from the right upper trapezius, left upper trapezius, right midback, and left midback with a second device (Myoscan Pro sensors recorded with Biograph Procomp Infinity) while participants were seated in three postures: a slouched (forward-bent) position, an upright arched position, and an upright stacksitting position as trained by a Gokhale Method teacher. The case observations showed no significant difference in trapezius SEMG activity during each of the three positions. There was a slight increase in SEMG activity of the midback during stacksitting (1.1 μV) as compared with when slouched (0.64 μV), and a significant increase in SEMG activity when sitting arched (4.9 μV). As expected, the spinal activity tracking device showed significant straightening of the lower spine during the stacksitting position as compared with the slouched and arched positions. The observations suggest that the stacksitting position can be taught to others in a way that allows the vertebrae to be parallel to each other with very low levels of corresponding muscle activity. In contrast, sitting in an arched or slouched position could increase asymmetrical pressure on the disks, contributing to vertebral wedging, which could also contribute to spinal disk bulging and eventual back injury. The observations suggest that proper coaching may foster a stacksitting position of the spine, which could foster a healthier posture than slouched or arched spinal positions.

scholarly journals Posterior chain flexibility and lower back pain in farm workers

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-226
Author(s):  
Marcia Regina da Silva ◽  
Lucimare Ferraz ◽  
Fátima Ferretti ◽  
Cristiane Sfredo
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Muscle Length ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Farm Workers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Chain Flexibility ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Hoc

Abstract Introduction: Flexibility is an essential component of physical aptitude that reduces the incidence of muscle distention and improves movement efficiency and posture. Objective: To analyze posterior chain flexibility and lower back pain (LBP) in farm workers from a city in western Santa Catarina state, Brazil. Methods: Quantitative and cross-sectional study conducted with 185 rural workers, average age of 44.24 (±10.83) years. The Rural Worker Health Questionnaire, containing individual issues related to work; sit and reach box, goniometer, visual analog scale (VAS) and Oswestry and Roland-Morris questionnaires were used to evaluate posterior chain flexibility, hamstring muscle length, pain and lumbar spine dysfunction, respectively. Flexibility was compared with the degree of dysfunction using one-way ANOVA followed by the Bonferroni post hoc test. Results: 181 (97.8%) workers reported LBP symptoms: 100% of the women and 95.2% of the men. The average Oswestry score was 7.09 (±8.25), Roland-Morris 1.22 (±1.63), and VAS 5.81 (±2.5). Average flexibility by the sit and reach test (SRT) was 23.91cm (±18.81); straight leg raise (SLR), 66° (±11.77) and popliteal angle 123.21° (±12.45). There was a significant difference in the popliteal angle (p = 0.003) and SLR (0.001) when compared with the degree of dysfunction. Women showed significant differences in all tests; however, the post hoc test showed a significant difference only in the SRT (p = 0.013), and women with minimal dysfunction had greater flexibility in relation to those with severe dysfunction. Conclusion: Self-reported LBP was severe and women with higher levels of dysfunction exhibited less posterior chain flexibility.

scholarly journals Lower back pain with sciatic disorder following L5 dermatome caused by herpes zoster infection

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roslind Karolina Hackenberg ◽  
Arnd Von den Driesch ◽  
Dietmar Pierre König
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Herpes Zoster ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Pain Treatment ◽  
Acute Onset ◽  
Mri Scan ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Acyclovir Treatment ◽  
Magnetic Resonance Imaging Mri ◽  
The Right

We report the case of a 62-year-old patient with lower back pain radiating into the right leg accompanied by numbness. The pain had an acute onset and was resistant to conservative pain treatment. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the lumbar spine showed no degenerative discovertebral lesions, but a swelling of the nerve root supplying the affected dermatome. For pain treatment the patient received lumbar epidural infiltrations. During this treatment the patient suddenly developed a skin rash with grouped vesicular blisters on an erythematous ground. After the diagnosis of a lumbar herpes zoster and an acyclovir treatment, the patient could be discharged in an ameliorated condition. This case demonstrates the importance to consider rare causes of lumbosciatic pain and disorders and to acknowledge unspecific changes in a MRI scan.

scholarly journals Analyzing the Influence of Modic Changes on Patients with Lower Back Pain Undergoing Conservative Treatment

2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Yufeng Chen ◽  
Huilin Yang ◽  
Lianfang Zhang ◽  
Yue Wang ◽  
Jun Zou
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Modic Changes ◽  
Nonsurgical Treatment ◽  
Type I ◽  
Type Ii ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Modic Type ◽  
Vas Scores

Objective. This study aimed to investigate if the presence of Modic changes (MCs) was correlated with lower back pain (LBP) and LBP-related disability in patients who underwent nonsurgical treatment. Methods. In this study, 129 patients who experienced consecutive LBP and underwent lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging in our institute were divided into three groups according to the presence or type of MCs. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess the outcomes of the treatment. Results. Based on the achieved results, there was no significant difference between three groups before treatment (P>0.05). Three months after undergoing nonsurgical treatment, the rates of improved ODI and VAS scores were statistically significantly different (P=0.014,  0.023). After an additional 3 months of treatment, in patients with Modic type I changes, the symptoms significantly improved in comparison with those 3 months prior (P=0.037,  0.026), while that improvement did not occur in patients with Modic type II changes (P>0.05). Conclusions. The existence of MCs affects the outcomes of nonsurgical treatment in patients with LBP. However, symptoms can be improved after an additional round of treatment for Modic type I changes, while this is not confirmed for Modic type II changes.

scholarly journals Optimization of Therapy in Patients with Lower Back Pain Depending on the Presence of Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-83
Author(s):  
V. M. Zhdan ◽  
◽  
I. V. Ivanitskii ◽  
O. I. Katerenchuk ◽  
L. M. Shilkina
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Joint Hypermobility ◽  
Muscle Stiffness ◽  
Hypermobility Syndrome ◽  
Joint Hypermobility Syndrome ◽  
Benign Joint Hypermobility Syndrome ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Right

Lower back pain is pain that is localized in the lower back, buttocks, and sacroiliac area. Lower back pain is the most common reason for limiting physical activity in patients under 45 years of age. If we take into account both acute and chronic pain. Lower back pain is the most common complaint after colds and minor injuries. At the same time, even a thorough examination may not always reveal the cause of lower back pain. There is evidence of more frequent development of pain in the lower back on the background of benign joint hypermobility syndrome. Lower back pain in patients with benign joint hypermobility syndrome is usually assessed on the basis of visual analog scale data and is quite subjective. To assess the severity of changes in the lumbar spine, an ultrasound method can be used, one of the options of which is elastometry, which allows to determine the stiffness of the studied tissues, in particular to assess muscle tone. Muscle relaxants are commonly used for therapy, but it is usually not possible to assess their effect on actual muscle relaxation. The purpose of our study was to determine the effectiveness of using muscle relaxants in patients with lower back pain and benign joint hypermobility syndrome by performing elastometry of the iliopsoas muscles in these patients. Material and methods. To achieve this goal, we examined 65 patients with lower back pain aged 45.62±2.24 years, among them there were 32 women and 33 men. Patients with impaired limb sensitivity, muscle weakness, pelvic dysfunction, severe pain at night, fever and unmotivated weight loss, history of cancer, etc. were excluded from the study. To participate in the study, all patients underwent X-ray and ultrasound examination of the hip joints, in the presence of signs of osteoarthritis, patients were excluded from the study. Among the patients examined by the Bayton criteria, 26 patients were diagnosed with benign joint hypermobility syndrome, among them were 19 women and 7 men. We used shear wave elastometry to determine the stiffness of the distal lumbosacral muscle. A visual analog scale of pain with a gradation from 1 to 10 was used to determine the severity of the pain syndrome. After the diagnosis of lower back pain, patients were prescribed anti-inflammatory therapy in the form of 100 mg of diclofenac per day and tizanidine 4 mg 3 times a day for two weeks. After two weeks, the examination of patients was repeated. Results and discussion. In patients with lower back pain, the initial values of iliopsoas muscle stiffness were 11.85±1.37 kPa on the right and 12.1±1.45 kPa on the left, in patients with signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome and lower back pain, the stiffness was iliopsoas muscle were 12.64±1.42 kPa on the right and 12.49±1.67 kPa on the left. No statistically significant difference was found between the studied groups. The severity of pain in the group of patients with lower back pain without benign joint hypermobility syndrome was 7.98±1.45, in patients with lower back pain and signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome was 7.67±1.33 After 2 weeks of therapy in patients with lower back pain without signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome, the lumbar-iliac muscle stiffness was 7.69±1.23 kPa on the right and 7.98±1.38 kPa on the left, the difference with the initial values was significant (p <0.05). In patients with signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome and lower back pain after treatment, the lumbar-lumbar muscle stiffness was 10.29±1.97 kPa on the right and 10.89±1.75 kPa on the left. The difference was significant (p <0.05) both with the initial indicators and with the indicators of the group of patients with lower back pain without signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome. The severity of pain on the visual analog scale in the group of patients with lower back pain without benign joint hypermobility syndrome after therapy was 3.49±1.98, in patients with lower back pain and signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome was 5.21±1.43. The difference was significant (p <0.05) both with the initial indicators and with the indicators of the group of patients with lower back pain without signs of benign joint hypermobility syndrome and had a clear correlation with the indicators of lumbar-iliac muscle stiffness according to shear wave elastometry (r = 0.63, p = 0.032) Conclusion. Thus, the use of tizanidine in therapy can reduce the stiffness of the lumbosacral muscles of the back and reduce the intensity of pain in patients with lower back pain. At the same time, the patient's presence of benign joint hypermobility syndrome significantly reduced the degree of muscle relaxation and provoked greater resistance to pain therapy. The use of shear wave elastometry allows controling the quality of treatment in the dynamics. At the same time, there is a need to study the possibility of using this method of research in other spastic changes in the muscular system, which should be a prospect for further research

scholarly journals PENGARUH SIT STRETCHING TERHADAP PERUBAHAN SKALA NYERI PUNGGUNG BAWAH PADA KARYAWAN DI PT. RIFAN FINANCINDO BERJANGKA CABANG SEMARANG

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Gamalia Anggriya Dwi Putra ◽  
Asti Nuraeni ◽  
Mamat Supriyono
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
P Value ◽  
Research Subjects ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Group Research ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Female Employees

Lower back pain is one of musculoskeletal disorder in the shape of pain in the back bone, to be exact is in the forth lumbar to the first sacrum. It is caused by the not appropriate posture (not ergonomic) while working or doing the activities, such as very long standing or sitting. This complaint can be reduced by sit stretching regularly. The aim of this study is to find out impact of sit stretching towards the changes of scale of lower back pain on employees at PT. Rifan Financindo Berjangka Branch Semarang. The method of research is quasy experiment designed in pre test and post test with compare group. Research subjects are 30 male and female employees. Sample taking uses total sampling. Statisitic test utilizes Mann Whitney with level of meaning (α=0,05). The result of pre test statisitc test is p-value = 0,467 (> 0,05), it means that  there is no significant difference scale of lower back pain between intervention group and compare group  before performing sit stretching to intervention  group. The post test statisitic the result is p-value = 0,001 (> 0,05), it means there is a significant difference scale of lower back pain at intervention group with compare group after performing sit stretching on the intervention group. Based on result of p-value on post test can be concluded that there is an impact of sit stretching towards the changes in scale of lower back pain on the employees at PT. Rifan Financindo Berjangka Branch Semarang.

scholarly journals Evaluation of injectable nucleus augmentation materials for the treatment of intervertebral disc degeneration

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Philip Culbert ◽  
James P Warren ◽  
Andrew R Dixon ◽  
Hazel Louise Fermor ◽  
Paul A. Beales ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Intervertebral Disc ◽  
Disc Degeneration ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ◽  
Economic Cost ◽  
Lower Back

Lower back pain affects a person’s health and mobility as well as creating a large economic cost. This is often caused by degeneration of the intervertebral disc. Current operative and...

Investigation of the Relationship Between Sagittal Curvature and Lumbar Extensor Muscle Volume in Patients with Lower Back Pain

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isil Yurdaisik ◽  
Süleyman Hilmi Aksoy
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Wedge Angle ◽  
Extensor Muscle ◽  
Muscle Volume ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Extensor Muscles ◽  
The Mean ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between spinal curvature and extensor muscle volume in patients who presented to our hospital with lower back pain and were referred to our radiology clinic for imaging investigations.Methods: A total of 150 patients with 87 being female and 63 male who presented to our hospital with the complaint of lower back pain and were referred to our radiology clinic were included in this study. Lumbar angle, lumbosacral angle, wedge angle, sacral horizontal angle, the volume of the right and left PSOAS muscles and the volume of the right and left extensor muscles were calculated and analyzed. Results: A total of 150 patients with lower back pain were included in the study. The mean lumbar angle was found as 44.2±10.6 degrees, and the mean lumbosacral angle as 56.7±10.9 degrees. The mean wedge angle of all patients included in the study was measured as 9.3±3.7 degrees. The mean sacral horizontal angle was found as 33.6±7.1 degrees. The mean right lumbar extensor muscle volume was measured as 2169.6±489.6 mm3, while the mean left lumbar extensor volume was calculated as 2286.5±1452.8 mm3. Conclusion: Our findings indicate a significant positive correlation between the volume of extensor muscles in the lower half of the lumbar spine and sagittal curvature in the same region. Clarifying the relationship between sagittal curvature and lower lumbar muscle size will provide contribution to the management of patients with lower back pain and will be helpful in determining whether these patients would benefit from intensive treatment.

Prevalence of Lower Back Pain in Pregnant Women with Pre-Eclampsia

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2773-2776
Author(s):  
Parveen Shafi ◽  
Rahim Khan ◽  
Tariq Ahmad ◽  
Syed Alam Zeb ◽  
Ahsan Sajjad
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Domestic Work ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Group I ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Group Ii

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of lower back pain in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia. Study Design: Cross sectional study Place and Duration: Mardan Medical Complex/BKMC, Tahseel Headquarter Hospital, Takht Bhai Mardan, Swabi Medical Complex /GKMC, from October 2019 to October 2021. Methods: Total 160 pregnant women were presented in this study. Patients were aged between 18-45 years. Detailed demographics of enrolled cases age, body mass index, gestational age, and residency and education status were calculated after taking informed written consent. Patients were divided into two groups. Group I had 80 patients with pre-eclampsia and group II had 80 patients with normotensive. Gravidity among both groups was assessed. Symptoms and prevalence of lower back pain among both groups were assessed and compared. Complete data was analyzed by SPSS 22.0 version. Results: Mean age of the patients in group I was 27.09±5.66 years with mean gestational age 33.14±7.41 weeks while in group II mean age was 26.55±8.26 years with mean gestational age 32.47±8.33 weeks. Thirty seven patients (46.3%) in group I was primigravida and 40 (50%) in group II was primigravida. Thirty nine patients (48.8%) had urban residency in group I and in group II thirty seven (46.3%) cases were from urban area. Frequency of literacy among both groups were 42 (52.5%) and 44 (55%). Prevalence of lower back pain in group I was 55 (68.8%) higher as compared to group II 53 (66.3%) with no any significant difference. Domestic work was the most common cause among both groups followed by social work (Job), lifting of heavy object and medication pain. Conclusion: We concluded in this study the prevalence of lower back pain among pregnant women was significantly high among both pre-eclampsia and normotensive cases. Most common causes of lower back among women was domestic work. Health professionals must be proactive in diagnosing LBP and providing proper management due to the enormous impact of it on the quality of life. Keywords: Pregnant Women, Low Back Pain, Prevalence, Symptoms, causes.

scholarly journals Short-Term Effect of Laser Acupuncture on Lower Back Pain: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind Trial

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jae-Young Shin ◽  
Boncho Ku ◽  
Jaeuk U. Kim ◽  
Yu Jung Lee ◽  
Jae Hui Kang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Back Pain ◽  
Lower Back Pain ◽  
Pressure Pain Threshold ◽  
Acupuncture Group ◽  
Laser Acupuncture ◽  
Double Blind Trial ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Blind Trial ◽  
Lower Back ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose. This trial was performed to investigate the efficacy of laser acupuncture for the alleviation of lower back pain.Methods. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Fifty-six participants were randomly assigned to either the laser acupuncture group (n=28) or the sham laser acupuncture group (n=28). Participants in both groups received three treatment sessions over the course of one week. Thirteen acupuncture points were selected. The visual analogue scale for pain, pressure pain threshold, Patient Global Impression of Change, and Euro-Quality-of-Life Five Dimensions questionnaire (Korean version) were used to evaluate the effect of laser acupuncture treatment on lower back pain.Results. There were no significant differences in any outcome between the two groups, although the participants in both groups showed a significant improvement in each assessed parameter relative to the baseline values.Conclusion. Although there was no significant difference in outcomes between the two groups, the results suggest that laser acupuncture can provide effective pain alleviation and can be considered an option for relief from lower back pain. Further studies using long-term intervention, a larger sample size, and rigorous methodology are required to clarify the effect of laser acupuncture on lower back pain.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document