The effects of visual biofeedback using ultrasonograpy on deep trunk muscle activation.
Hyun-Gyu Cha, Myoung-Kwon Kim, Young-Jun Shin
PMID 28174441WHAT IT FOUND
Healthy adults who watched an ultrasound of their own abdominal muscles while performing drawing-in exercises showed increased activation in the internal oblique and multifidus muscles.
Rectus abdominis and external oblique activity did not change significantly after the six-week intervention.
Key findings
01Internal oblique abdominis and lumbar multifidus muscle activation improved significantly after the intervention.
02Rectus abdominis and external oblique abdominis showed small changes that were not reported as significant.
03The intervention consisted of six weeks of motor control exercises with visual biofeedback using ultrasonography.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only ten healthy participants, which is too small to generalize findings to patients with pain or dysfunction. There was no control group to determine if the changes were due to the biofeedback or simply the exercise itself. The study did not include follow-up testing, so it is unknown if the muscle activation changes persisted after the intervention ended. Participants were healthy adults, so results may not apply to individuals with existing spinal or core issues.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this proves ultrasound biofeedback is superior to standard core exercises. The study lacked a control group, had only ten healthy participants, and measured muscle activation rather than clinical outcomes like pain or function.