PTOtherJournal of physical therapy science2017

Effects of prone trunk extension exercise using different fixations and with and without abdominal drawing-in maneuver in healthy individuals.

Yong-Wook Kim

PMID 28533589

WHAT IT FOUND

In healthy men doing prone trunk extension, adding thoracolumbar fixation and abdominal drawing-in raised upper-back extensor activity and reduced lower-back extensor activity compared with pelvic fixation.

No patient outcomes were tested.

Key findings

01With thoracolumbar fixation plus abdominal drawing-in, thoracic extensor muscle activity was 2.87 ± 1.36 mV, significantly higher than 2.46 ± 0.90 mV with pelvic fixation alone and 2.41 ± 0.90 mV with pelvic fixation plus abdominal drawing-in.

02With thoracolumbar fixation plus abdominal drawing-in, lumbar extensor muscle activity was 1.72 ± 1.02 mV, significantly lower than 1.93 ± 1.16 mV with pelvic fixation alone.

03With pelvic fixation plus abdominal drawing-in, lumbar extensor muscle activity was 1.73 ± 1.01 mV, significantly lower than 1.93 ± 1.16 mV with pelvic fixation alone.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

All participants were healthy young men, so the results may not apply to women or people with back pain, kyphosis, or lordosis. The speed of trunk extension was not controlled for each participant, which can affect muscle activity readings. Surface EMG can include signals from adjacent muscles. The outcomes were immediate muscle activity measurements, not patient symptoms or function.

The easy way to misread this

Do not conclude that this exercise improves back pain, kyphosis, or lordosis. The study measured muscle activity in healthy men and did not test clinical outcomes.

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