Repeated standing back extension exercise: Influence on muscle shear modulus change after lumbodorsal muscle fatigue.
Tsuneo Kumamoto, Toshiaki Seko, Ryo Matsuda and 1 others
PMID 33867382WHAT IT FOUND
After inducing back muscle fatigue, five sets of standing back extension exercises significantly reduced muscle stiffness in healthy men.
The exercise had no effect on stiffness in participants who were not fatigued first.
Key findings
01Standing back extension exercise significantly decreased the shear modulus (a measure of muscle stiffness) of the multifidus muscles in the fatigued group.
02The exercise did not change muscle stiffness in groups that were not fatigued or did not perform the exercise.
03Muscle stiffness was significantly higher in the fatigued groups compared to the non-fatigued group before any exercise was performed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The study was conducted on 33 healthy young adult men, not on patients with actual low back pain, so the results may not generalize to a clinical population. The effect was measured immediately after exercise; the study did not track how long the reduction in muscle stiffness lasted. The study used a simulated fatigue model in healthy people, which may not perfectly replicate the complex physiological state of chronic or acute low back pain.
Declared interests
No funding sources or conflicts of interest were reported in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this exercise will treat existing low back pain or reduce stiffness in non-fatigued muscles. The study showed no change in stiffness for the group that exercised without first being fatigued, meaning the effect is specific to relieving fatigue-induced tightness.