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Background: Accelerometers provide information regarding balance and gait, but they are rarely used in clinical settings for stroke patients. Clinically, balance is assessed with simple tests, but their relationships with accelerometry results after stroke are unknown., Objective: We examined the relationship between accelerometry-assessed gait indices calculated from trunk acceleration and results of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Berg Balance Scale (BBS) tests in stroke patients., Methods: Twenty-nine stroke patients completed assessments with the TUG, BBS, and trunk acceleration during walking using a tri-axial accelerometer. The root mean square (RMS), stride regularity (SR), and step symmetry (SS), which indicate gait fluctuations, regularity, and symmetry, respectively, were calculated based on trunk acceleration. These were calculated in the vertical (VT), anteroposterior, and mediolateral directions. A multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine whether these gait indices contributed independently to TUG and BBS results., Results: VT-RMS and VT-SS were significant determinants of TUG, and VT-SS, VT-RMS, and VT-SR were significant determinants of BBS., Conclusions: This study suggested that the gait indices calculated from trunk acceleration that were relevant to balance were those in the VT direction. These may be useful for evaluating dynamic gait balance in patients with stroke.

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of lumbopelvic stabilization maneuvers on spine motion and trunk muscle activity during prone hip extension (PHE). In this study, 14 healthy male volunteers (mean age, 21.2 ± 2.6 years) were instructed to perform PHE without any maneuvers (control), with abdominal hollowing (AH), and with abdominal bracing (AB). Surface electromyography data were collected from the trunk muscles and the lumbopelvic motion was measured. Lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt degree were significantly lower in the AH and AB than in the control condition during PHE (p < 0.001). Lumbar extension and anterior pelvic tilt degree did not differ significantly between the AH and AB (p > 0.05). Global muscle group activity such as external obliques was lower in the AH than in the AB. These findings suggest that PHE with AH effectively minimizes unwanted lumbopelvic motion which does not result in global muscle activation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The active hip abduction test (AHAbd) is widely used to evaluate lumbopelvic stability, but the onset of trunk muscle activation during the test in individuals with recurrent low back pain (rLBP) has not been investigated so far. It is important to investigate the pattern of trunk muscle activation during the AHAbd test to provide insight into the interpretation of observation-based assessment results; this may help to create exercise therapy interventions, from a movement control perspective, for people seeking treatment for rLBP. The purpose of this study was to compare the timing of trunk muscle activation between individuals with and without rLBP and to assess potential differences.Methods: Seventeen subjects in remission from rLBP and 17 subjects without rLBP were recruited. We performed surface electromyography of the transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique, external oblique, erector spinae, and gluteus medius muscles during the AHAbd test on both sides. The onset of trunk muscle activation was calculated relative to the prime mover gluteus medius. The independent-samples t- and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare the onset of trunk muscle activation between the two groups.Results: The onset of transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique activation on the ipsilateral (right AHAbd: -3.0 ± 16.2 vs. 36.3 ± 20.0 msec, left AHAbd: -7.2 ± 18.6 vs. 29.6 ± 44.3 ms) and contralateral sides (right AHAbd: -11.5 ± 13.9 vs. 24.4 ± 32.3 ms, left AHAbd: -10.1 ± 12.5 vs. 23.3 ± 17.2 ms) and erector spinae on the contralateral side (right AHAbd: 76.1 ± 84.9 vs. 183.9 ± 114.6 ms, left AHAbd: 60.7 ± 70.5 vs. 133.9 ± 98.6 ms) occurred significantly later in individuals with rLBP than in individuals without rLBP (p < 0.01). During the left AHAbd test, the ipsilateral erector spinae was also activated significantly later in individuals with rLBP than in individuals without rLBP (71.1 ± 80.1 vs. 163.8 ± 120.1 ms, p < 0.05). No significant difference was observed in the onset of the external oblique activation on the right and left AHAbd tests (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Our results suggest that individuals with rLBP possess a trunk muscle activation pattern that is different from that of individuals without rLBP. These findings provide an insight into the underlying muscle activation patterns during the AHAbd test for people with rLBP and may support aggressive early intervention for neuromuscular control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The abdominal drawing-in exercise could help improve delayed transversus abdominis (TrA) activation during limb movement in subjects with recurrent low back pain (rLBP). However, little is known about whether the same effect is observed during lifting tasks in subjects with rLBP. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to clarify whether a single session of abdominal drawing-in exercise could correct the altered trunk muscle activation patterns during a lifting task in subjects with rLBP. METHODS: Fifteen subjects with rLBP performed lifting tasks before and immediately after three sets of 10 repetitions of isolated TrA voluntary contractions. The time of onset and activation amplitude during the lifting tasks were measured by surface electromyography (EMG) and compared between the trials before and immediately after exercise. RESULTS: During lifting, the onset of internal abdominal oblique/TrA (IO/TrA) and multifidus activation occurred earlier, the EMG amplitude of IO/TrA increased, and the EMG amplitude of erector spinae and multifidus decreased, compared with the pre-exercise data. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a possibility that the abdominal drawing-in exercise might be effective in improving the muscle recruitment pattern in people with rLBP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Slumped sitting is known to increase disc pressure and aggravate chronic low back pain. In addition, it has been recognized that co-contraction of the deep spine-stabilizing muscles enhances lumbar segmental stability and the sacro-iliac joint. The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the trunk muscles and the muscle thickness of the transverse abdominis (TrA) during slumped sitting with the same parameters during co-contraction and investigate how co-contraction influences spinal curvature. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Nine healthy male volunteers participated in the study. EMG signals were recorded during both sitting postures. In order to measure the muscle thickness of the TrA, ultrasound images were captured. While the subjects performed both sitting postures, spinal curvature was measured using a hand-held device. RESULTS: Significantly more activity of the trunk muscles, with the exception of the rectus abdominis muscle, and significantly greater muscle thickness of the TrA were observed during co-contraction of the trunk muscles than during slumped sitting. Co-contraction also resulted in significantly increased lumbar lordosis and a greater sacral angle when compared to slumped sitting. CONCLUSION: In this study, it was demonstrated that the instructions given to the subjects on co-contraction of the trunk muscles during sitting increased muscle activity with the exception of the rectus abdominis muscle, muscle thickness of the TrA, and lumbar lordosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in the recruitment pattern of trunk muscles may contribute to the development of recurrent or chronic symptoms in people with low back pain (LBP). However, the recruitment pattern of trunk muscles during lifting tasks associated with a high risk of LBP has not been clearly determined in recurrent LBP. The present study aimed to investigate potential differences in trunk muscles recruitment patterns between individuals with recurrent LBP and asymptomatic individuals during lifting. The subjects were 25 individuals with recurrent LBP and 20 asymptomatic individuals. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure onset time, EMG amplitude, overall activity of abdominal muscles, and overall activity of back muscles during a lifting task. The onsets of the transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique and multifidus were delayed in the recurrent LBP group despite remission from symptoms. Additionally, the EMG amplitudes of the erector spinae, as well as the overall activity of abdominal muscles or back muscles, were greater in the recurrent LBP group. No differences in EMG amplitude of the external oblique, transversus abdominis/internal abdominal oblique, and multifidus were found between the groups. Our findings indicate the presence of an altered trunk muscle recruitment pattern in individuals with recurrent LBP during lifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]