The validity and reliability of a biofeedback system during segmental stabilisation in patients with low back pain

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Worldwide epidemiological findings strongly indicate low back pain as a growingepidemic despite the latest diagnostic and treatment methods used (Jellema etal., 2001:377; Woolf & Pfleger, 2003:646; Kopec et al., 2004:70; Frost &Sullivan, 2006; Dagenais et al., 2008:9). From this clinical problem, a needarose to quantify lumbar muscle performance for the safe monitoring ofrehabilitation programmes and assessments.The quantification of muscular strength is especially important from a kinematicviewpoint, because activities of daily living are dependent on muscular strength(Nobori & Maruyama, 2007:9). Furthermore, it is of utmost importance tocombine the complex muscular system with the complexity of motor control(Richardson et al., 2005) and biomechanics (McGill, 2007), to specificallyaddress the problem of low back pain.Scientists have developed a better understanding of muscle function ordysfunction pertaining to low back pain and highlighted the clinical importanceof quantitative muscle testing of the lumbar spine. Various clinical assessmentdevices and methods such as ultrasound, kinesiologic electromyography,isokinetic dynamometry and the Biering-Sorensen test are being used to recordmuscle atrophy and dysfunction of the m. lumbar multifidi at L5. However, someof these assessments are very costly and some are clinically unsafe, andtherefore the need for reliable and valid low back tests still exists. In the studypresented, a system called the pressure air biofeedback (PAB) device wasdeveloped, to scientifically assess m. lumbar multifidus' isometric contraction inasymptomatic (n=24) and low back pain (n=18) subjects.A closed chain test model with a neutral spine posture in zero degrees uprightsitting was used. This study compared results of m. lumbar multifidus' isometriccontraction between tests of pressure air biofeedback, electromyography andreal-time ultrasound.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University