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Rehabilitation Practice and Science

Translated Title

健康成人下背彎曲度與下背伸肌活動度之相關性研究

Abstract

The modified fingertip-to-floor method is one of the clinical measurements used to assess forward bending. The present research is based on recording the measurements obtained by lumbar extensor surface electromyography (EMG) during the modified ”fingertip-to-floor” method in order to investigate the correlation between the two approaches. Our hypothesis is that poorer flexibility of the low back is associated with larger amplitude of low back extensor surface EMG activity.Measurements were obtained from 36 subjects (12 male and 24 female aged 28.9±5.3 year-old). The subjects stood on a wooden box and bent forward so that measurements could be taken. The top of the wooden box was the dividing line and was taken as measurement zero (0). Those whose fingertips could reach beyond the height of the wooden box (designated＞0) had good flexibility of the low back, whilst those who could not reach the zero point (designated≤0) had poor flexibility of the low back. During the experimental protocol, we had placed four surface electrodes in positions two centimeters away on either side from the mid-line of the second and third lumbar vertebrae of the subject in order to record muscle activity.The following results were obtained. The surface EMG measurements appeared to have acceptable reliability (ICC: 0.614~0.977). Individuals within the poor flexibility group underwent significantly larger eccentric contractions of the lumbar extensor than individuals from the good flexibility group (p=0.009). The results therefore support our original hypothesis, although further research is still necessary. Nonetheless, it can be concluded that the modified ”fingertip-to-floor” method is a simple, efficient and highly reliable lumbar function test. We suggest that forward bending should be used an easy and reliable method when clinically assessing lumbar function and also as a method of self-assessment.

Language

Traditional Chinese

First Page

161

Last Page

169

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