This very recent study from Iran (note, researchers outside Canada and
Australia are also producing some interesting findings in the field of LBP)
confirms what other studies are revealing about all those postural and
mechanical beliefs about low back pain and its treatment.
This study concluded that muscle endurance and weakness are associated with
LBP and that structural factors such as the size of the lumbar lordosis,
pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancy, and the length of abdominal, hamstring,
and iliopsoas muscles are not associated with the occurrence of LBP.
Now, which therapists have been claiming how dangerous it is to have leg
length discrepancies and "shortened" muscles or distorted pelvic tilt? How
many others have been playing around with blood pressure cuffs to show how
risky it allegedly is for the non-pathological individual to have large
"lumbar lordosis"?
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J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2002 Sept; 32(9):447-60
Relationship between mechanical factors and incidence of low back pain.
Nourbakhsh MR, Arab AM.
University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
STUDY DESIGN: A multifactorial cross-sectional nonexperimental design.
OBJECTIVES: To collectively investigate the association among 17 mechanical
factors and occurrence of low back pain (LBP).
BACKGROUND: Several physical characteristics, based on assumptions, clinical
findings, and scientific experiments, have been associated with the
development of LBP Controversy exists regarding the degree of association
between some of these physical characteristics and LBP. Information
regarding the degree of association of each factor to LBP is needed for
effective prevention and appropriate treatment strategies.
METHODS AND MEASURES: A total of 600 subjects participated in this study.
Subjects were categorized into 4 groups: asymptomatic men (n = 150, age [mean
± SD] = 43 ± 15 years), asymptomatic women (n = 150, age [mean ± SD] = 43 ±
13 years), men with LBP (n = 150, age [mean ± SD] = 43 ± 14 years), and
women with LBP (n = 150, age [mean ± SD] = 43 ± 13 years). Seventeen
physical characteristics were measured in each group and the relative
association of each characteristic with LBP was assessed.
RESULTS: Among all the factors tested, endurance of the back extensor muscles
had the highest association with LBP Other factors such as the length of the
back extensor muscles, and the strength of the hip flexor, hip adductor, and
abdominal muscles also had a significant association with LBP.
CONCLUSION: It appears that muscle endurance and weakness are associated with
LBP and that structural factors such as the size of the lumbar lordosis,
pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancy, and the length of abdominal, hamstring,
and iliopsoas muscles are not associated with the occurrence of LBP.
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Dr Mel C Siff
Denver, USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supertraining/
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