Doctoral Degrees (Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine)
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Browsing Doctoral Degrees (Exercise, Sport and Lifestyle Medicine) by Subject "Backache -- Treatment"
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- ItemThe validity and reliability of a biofeedback system during segmental stabilisation in patients with low back pain(Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2009-12) Pienaar, Andries Willem; Barnard, J. G.; University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Sport Science.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Worldwide epidemiological findings strongly indicate low back pain as a growing epidemic despite the latest diagnostic and treatment methods used (Jellema et al., 2001:377; Woolf & Pfleger, 2003:646; Kopec et al., 2004:70; Frost & Sullivan, 2006; Dagenais et al., 2008:9). From this clinical problem, a need arose to quantify lumbar muscle performance for the safe monitoring of rehabilitation programmes and assessments. The quantification of muscular strength is especially important from a kinematic viewpoint, because activities of daily living are dependent on muscular strength (Nobori & Maruyama, 2007:9). Furthermore, it is of utmost importance to combine the complex muscular system with the complexity of motor control (Richardson et al., 2005) and biomechanics (McGill, 2007), to specifically address the problem of low back pain. Scientists have developed a better understanding of muscle function or dysfunction pertaining to low back pain and highlighted the clinical importance of quantitative muscle testing of the lumbar spine. Various clinical assessment devices and methods such as ultrasound, kinesiologic electromyography, isokinetic dynamometry and the Biering-Sorensen test are being used to record muscle atrophy and dysfunction of the m. lumbar multifidi at L5. However, some of these assessments are very costly and some are clinically unsafe, and therefore the need for reliable and valid low back tests still exists. In the study presented, a system called the pressure air biofeedback (PAB) device was developed, to scientifically assess m. lumbar multifidus’ isometric contraction in asymptomatic (n=24) and low back pain (n=18) subjects. A closed chain test model with a neutral spine posture in zero degrees upright sitting was used. This study compared results of m. lumbar multifidus’ isometric contraction between tests of pressure air biofeedback, electromyography and real-time ultrasound.