Abstract
Recurrent low back pain (LBP) is associated with altered motor coordination of the
lumbar paraspinal muscles. Whether these changes can be modified with motor training
remains unclear. Twenty volunteers with unilateral LBP were randomly assigned to cognitively
activate the lumbar multifidus independently from other back muscles (skilled training)
or to activate all paraspinal muscles with no attention to any specific muscles (extension
training). Electromyographic (EMG) activity of deep (DM) and superficial multifidus
(SM) muscles were recorded bilaterally using intramuscular fine-wire electrodes and
that of superficial abdominal and back muscles using surface electrodes. Motor coordination
was assessed before and immediately after training as onsets of trunk muscle EMG during
rapid arm movements, and as EMG amplitude at the mid-point of slow trunk flexion-extension
movements. Despite different intentions of the training tasks, the pattern of activity
was similar for both. After both training tasks, activation of the DM and SM muscles
was earlier during rapid arm movements. However, during slow trunk movements, DM and
SM activity was increased, and EMG activity of the superficial trunk muscles was reduced
only after skilled training. These findings show the potential to alter motor coordination
with motor training of the lumbar paraspinal muscles in recurrent LBP.
Perspectives
Changes in motor coordination differed between skilled and extension training during
slows trunk movements. As identical patterns of muscle activity were observed between
training protocols, the results suggest that training-induced changes in motor coordination
are not simply related to the muscle activation, but appear to be related to the task.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 03, 2010
Accepted:
February 10,
2010
Received in revised form:
October 19,
2009
Received:
July 9,
2009
Footnotes
Drs Tsao and Hodges were funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.
We have no conflict of interest to declare.
Identification
Copyright
© 2010 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
