Differences in the transversus abdominis thickness during various motor tasks in the supine position.
Yuta Hanawa, Akira Kubo, Kou Onoda
PMID 32038067WHAT IT FOUND
Saying rounded vowel sounds increased transversus abdominis thickness more than resting breathing and was not clearly different from draw-in.
This may offer an easier cue for patients who cannot follow draw-in instructions.
Key findings
01Transversus abdominis thickness was significantly greater during draw-in and during all three vowel-sound vocalizations than during resting expiration.
02Among the comparisons with draw-in, only the 65-70 dB vocalization showed a significant difference in transversus abdominis thickness.
03The 55-60, 65-70, and 75-80 dB vowel-sound conditions did not differ significantly in transversus abdominis thickness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 16 healthy men were studied, so it does not show what happens in women, older adults, people with dementia, or people with back pain or fractures. The outcome was ultrasound muscle thickness, not pain, function, or clinical improvement. The study compared tasks in healthy participants and did not test patients who need the intervention. The authors discuss ease for dementia and supine patients, but those groups were not studied.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that vocalizing treats low back pain or improves function. The study measured transversus abdominis thickness in healthy men lying down, not patients or clinical outcomes.