Can 5 minutes of repetitive prone press-ups and sustained prone press-ups following a period of spinal loading reverse spinal shrinkage?

Cadence matters: Influence of cadence on spinal load during running

BACKGROUND

Running exposes the body to physiological and mechanical stresses that generate musculoskeletal injuries, such as low back pain due to large spinal loading. Increasing running cadence may reduce impact forces and spinal shrinkage.

RESEARCH QUESTION

This study aimed to determine the relationship between spinal loading and running cadence.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study included 15 runners from the local community (36 ± 11 years; 23 ± 2 kg.m-2, and 8 ± 9 years of running experience) who ran for 30 min (R30) and 60 min (R60) at a constant speed (10 km.h-1). The spinal loading was assessed via fine stature variation measurements before the run (baseline) at R30 and R60. Cadence was monitored via a wristwatch. The cadence ranged from 150 to 180 steps.min-1. A t-test was used to compare stature loss between R30 and R60 (relative to baseline), and a stepwise linear regression equation was used to identify the relationship between cadence and stature variation in each instant.

RESULTS

There was a stature loss throughout the race (R30 = 5.27 ± 1.92 mm and R60 =7.51 ± 2.51 mm). A linear regression analysis revealed a negative relationship between stature loss and cadence, indicating that running at a faster cadence produces smaller spinal loading than running at slower cadences after R60 (R2 = 0.38; p<0.05).

SIGNIFICANCE

Increasing running cadence might cause less spinal loading than running with a slower cadence, which may reduce the risk of injury and back disorders in runners.

The Effect of Core Stabilization Exercise with the Abdominal Drawing-in Maneuver Technique on Stature Change during Prolonged Sitting in Sedentary Workers with Chronic Low Back Pain

To enhance stature recovery, lumbar spine stabilization by stimulating the deep trunk muscle activation for compensation forces originating from the upper body was introduced. The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) technique has been found mainly to activate deep trunk muscles. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether 5 weeks of training of deep trunk muscles using the ADIM technique could improve stature recovery, delay trunk muscle fatigue, and decrease pain intensity during prolonged sitting. Thirty participants with chronic low back pain (CLBP) conducted a core stabilization exercise (CSE) with the ADIM technique for 5 weeks. Participants were required to sit for 41 min before and after the exercise intervention. Stature change was measured using a seated stadiometer with a resolution of ±0.006 mm. During sitting, the stature change, pain intensity, and trunk muscle fatigue were recorded. A comparison between measurements at baseline and after 5 weeks of training demonstrated: (i) stature recovery and pain intensity significantly improved throughout the 41 min sitting condition; (ii) the bilaterally trunk muscle showed significantly decreased fatigue. The CSE with the ADIM technique was shown to provide a protective effect on detrimental reductions in stature change and trunk muscle fatigue during prolonged sitting in young participants under controlled conditions in a laboratory. This information may help to prevent the risk of LBP from prolonged sitting activities in real life situations.

The immediate effect of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique on stature change in seated sedentary workers with chronic low back pain

Many studies have measured stature change arising from loads imposed on the spine during sitting. To improve stature recovery, it is important to stabilise the lumbar spine and compensate forces from the upper body. The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) technique has been found to mainly activate deep trunk muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether activation of deep trunk muscles by the ADIM technique could immediately improve stature recovery during prolonged sitting. Twenty-four patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were randomly allocated into different orders of experimental conditions: control (sitting without ADIM technique) and intervention conditions (sitting with ADIM technique). The latter condition required participants to complete ADIM technique for 1 min and repeat it three times throughout 41 min prolonged sitting time. Stature recovery was improved by 3.292 mm in the intervention condition compared with control condition (p-value = 0.001). Our finding demonstrated that ADIM technique improved stature recovery. Practitioner Summary: Prolonged sitting seemingly harms sedentary workers' health, particularly affecting the lower back. Activation of deep trunk muscles using abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique can promote spinal recovery. Clinicians can teach abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique to activate deep trunk muscles in chronic low back pain, thereby promoting self-management of seated stature recovery. Abbrevations: ADIM: abdominal drawing-in maneuver; RA: rectus abdominis; ICLT: iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis; LM: lumbar multifidus; TrA: transversus abdominis; IO: internal oblique; CLBP: chronic low back pain; LBP: low back pain; RMDQ: Roland Morris disability questionnaire; NRS: numerical rating scale.

The immediate effect of the abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique on stature change in seated sedentary workers with chronic low back pain

Many studies have measured stature change arising from loads imposed on the spine during sitting. To improve stature recovery, it is important to stabilise the lumbar spine and compensate forces from the upper body. The abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) technique has been found to mainly activate deep trunk muscles. The purpose of this study was to determine whether activation of deep trunk muscles by the ADIM technique could immediately improve stature recovery during prolonged sitting. Twenty-four patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) were randomly allocated into different orders of experimental conditions: control (sitting without ADIM technique) and intervention conditions (sitting with ADIM technique). The latter condition required participants to complete ADIM technique for 1 min and repeat it three times throughout 41 min prolonged sitting time. Stature recovery was improved by 3.292 mm in the intervention condition compared with control condition (p-value = 0.001). Our finding demonstrated that ADIM technique improved stature recovery. Practitioner Summary: Prolonged sitting seemingly harms sedentary workers' health, particularly affecting the lower back. Activation of deep trunk muscles using abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique can promote spinal recovery. Clinicians can teach abdominal drawing-in maneuver technique to activate deep trunk muscles in chronic low back pain, thereby promoting self-management of seated stature recovery. Abbrevations: ADIM: abdominal drawing-in maneuver; RA: rectus abdominis; ICLT: iliocostalis lumborum pars thoracis; LM: lumbar multifidus; TrA: transversus abdominis; IO: internal oblique; CLBP: chronic low back pain; LBP: low back pain; RMDQ: Roland Morris disability questionnaire; NRS: numerical rating scale.

Three-Dimensional Spinal Position With and Without Manual Distraction Load Increases Spinal Height

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to investigate if spinal height increases using 3-dimensional (3-D) spinal position with and without manual distraction load and to assess the correlation between spine height changes and degrees of trunk rotation.

METHODS

Fifty-six participants were randomly placed in one of two groups: (1) 3-D spinal position with manual distraction load, and (2) without manual distraction load. Spinal height was measured before and after the interventions using a stadiometer. For the statistical analysis, we used a 2 (Loading status: pre- versus post-intervention height) X 2 (3-D spinal position: with versus without manual distraction load) repeated measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to identify significant interaction and main effects. Paired t-tests were used to calculate differences in spinal height changes between the two interventions. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure correlations between changes in spinal heights and degrees of trunk rotation.

RESULTS

Mean spinal height increase with 3-D spinal position with and without manual distraction load was 6.30 mm (±6.22) and 5.69 mm (±4.13), respectively. No significant interaction effect was present between loading status and 3-D spinal position but a significant main effect in loading status was. Paired t-tests revealed significant differences in spinal heights between pre-and post-3-D spinal position with and without manual distraction load. No significant correlation was measured between trunk rotation and spinal height changes.

CONCLUSION

3-D spinal position with or without distraction load increased spinal height. This suggests that 3-D spinal positioning without manual distraction could be used in home settings to help maintain intervertebral disc (IVD) health.

Effect of time of day on height loss response variability in asymptomatic participants on two consecutive days

Ergonomists measure height loss in relation to loads imposed on the spine. It is difficult to interpret whether height loss responses recorded on different days are accurate due to natural daily fluctuations in height loss and measurement variability. The objective of this research was to investigate whether the variability of height loss in the sitting position is affected by time of day and to analyse day-to-day variability in asymptomatic participants. Fifty asymptomatic participants attended two sessions (morning and afternoon) of stadiometry testing on four separate days. The results showed that a variability of height loss response changes in excess of 0.886 mm in morning and 1.128 mm in afternoon between days indicates that an intervention itself has influenced height loss. Future investigations on height loss in sitting should take these results into consideration to confidently state that an intervention has influenced height loss response at each time of day. Practitioner summary: Daily fluctuation creates difficulties when interpreting whether height losses recorded on different days and times are intervention related. Seated stadiometry measures on different days and times of day demonstrated specific levels of natural variation. Changes above 0.886 mm (morning) and 1.128 mm (afternoon) can be attributed to intervention effects. Abbreviations: LBP: low back pain; SEM: standard error of measurement; MeanSDs: means of standard deviations.