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Changes in the normal characteristic pattern of abdominal muscle thickness in rowers with low back pain

Changes in the normal characteristic pattern of abdominal muscle thickness in rowers with low back pain
Changes in the normal characteristic pattern of abdominal muscle thickness in rowers with low back pain
Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, London and Applied Biomedical Research Group, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King’s College London Background: The relationship between the size and therefore force-generating capacity of individual abdominal muscles is unknown and maybe influenced by various factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the normal relative contribution of individual muscles to total abdominal muscle thickness, and to examine the association with training and low back pain (LBP).Method: Three groups of male subjects (age range 18–30 years) were studied: elite rowers with (n = 10) or without (n = 20) current or previous LBP and age-matched controls (n = 18). Real-time ultrasound imaging was used to measure the external oblique (EO), internal oblique(IO), transversus abdominis (TA) and rectus abdominis (RA) bilaterally. The relative thickness of each muscle was expressed as a percentage of total abdominal muscle thickness.Results: The controls and rowers without LBP showed the same pattern of order of relative thickness. As a group the rowers with LBP were not significantly different from the other two groups. However, as each rower with LBP showed a different pattern and considerable individual variation, analysis of group means was therefore inappropriate. Fisher’s Exact Test classified the rowers with LBP as showing significantly abnormal patterns (p < 0.05). An example of a rower with LBP is shown in Figure 1.Discussion: A characteristic pattern of relative abdominal muscle thickness was found in controls and rowers without LBP. In rowers with LBP the pattern was altered; this could be a cause or effect of LBP.Conclusions: Ultrasound imaging can be used to aid assessment of abdominal muscle involvement in LBP. Specific abnormalities could be addressed by individual exercise programmes, the effects of which need to be evaluated to provide evidence for rehabilitation.
ultrasound imaging, abdominal muscles, rowers, low back pain
0269-2155
112-113
Rankin, G.
57185f9e-3c42-43e7-95b6-228810a20304
Stokes, M.
71730503-70ce-4e67-b7ea-a3e54579717f
Newham, D.
7662b690-7c4e-4f79-a97c-00680d2d1c15
Rankin, G.
57185f9e-3c42-43e7-95b6-228810a20304
Stokes, M.
71730503-70ce-4e67-b7ea-a3e54579717f
Newham, D.
7662b690-7c4e-4f79-a97c-00680d2d1c15

Rankin, G., Stokes, M. and Newham, D. (2002) Changes in the normal characteristic pattern of abdominal muscle thickness in rowers with low back pain. Clinical Rehabilitation, 16 (1), 112-113.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, London and Applied Biomedical Research Group, GKT School of Biomedical Sciences, King’s College London Background: The relationship between the size and therefore force-generating capacity of individual abdominal muscles is unknown and maybe influenced by various factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the normal relative contribution of individual muscles to total abdominal muscle thickness, and to examine the association with training and low back pain (LBP).Method: Three groups of male subjects (age range 18–30 years) were studied: elite rowers with (n = 10) or without (n = 20) current or previous LBP and age-matched controls (n = 18). Real-time ultrasound imaging was used to measure the external oblique (EO), internal oblique(IO), transversus abdominis (TA) and rectus abdominis (RA) bilaterally. The relative thickness of each muscle was expressed as a percentage of total abdominal muscle thickness.Results: The controls and rowers without LBP showed the same pattern of order of relative thickness. As a group the rowers with LBP were not significantly different from the other two groups. However, as each rower with LBP showed a different pattern and considerable individual variation, analysis of group means was therefore inappropriate. Fisher’s Exact Test classified the rowers with LBP as showing significantly abnormal patterns (p < 0.05). An example of a rower with LBP is shown in Figure 1.Discussion: A characteristic pattern of relative abdominal muscle thickness was found in controls and rowers without LBP. In rowers with LBP the pattern was altered; this could be a cause or effect of LBP.Conclusions: Ultrasound imaging can be used to aid assessment of abdominal muscle involvement in LBP. Specific abnormalities could be addressed by individual exercise programmes, the effects of which need to be evaluated to provide evidence for rehabilitation.

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More information

Published date: 2002
Keywords: ultrasound imaging, abdominal muscles, rowers, low back pain

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 58604
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/58604
ISSN: 0269-2155
PURE UUID: 88b04e94-f2f3-44fe-a56d-488364d6a322
ORCID for M. Stokes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4204-0890

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 15 Aug 2008
Last modified: 23 Jul 2022 01:50

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Contributors

Author: G. Rankin
Author: M. Stokes ORCID iD
Author: D. Newham

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