Date of Award

2011

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Applied Medicine and Rehabilitation

First Advisor

Gage, Matt

Abstract

Muscle Activation during the Active Straight Leg Raise and Double Straight Leg Lowering Tests Callahan, ME. Gage, M. Ferng, SF. Nesser, T. Context: Low back pain is a common medical condition that exists in athletic and general populations. It is difficult to for clinicians to diagnose low back pain because no gold standard clinical test has been established to diagnose low back pain. Limited previous research has assessed muscle activation during commonly used clinical tests that evaluate low back pain. Objective: To assess transverse abdominis/internal oblique (TrA/IO), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis (RA) muscles during two common low back pain clinical tests. The clinical tests were the double straight leg lowering (DSLL) test and the active straight leg raise (ASLR) test. The ASLR was performed bilaterally. Design: Within subjects cohort study. Setting: Neuromechanics Research Laboratory. Participants: Thirty healthy, college aged, physically active (ht-173.48 + 9.15 cm, mass-73.85 + 17.1 kg, age-20.8 + 2. yrs) participants were recruited from a university campus. Intervention: Muscle activation was assessed during the DSLL and right (RASLR) and left (LASLR). Main Outcome Measures: Peak and mean abdominal muscle activation was measured using electromyography (EMG). Independent samples t-tests were used to assess muscle activation differences between tasks. Results: No differences were observed in the TrA/IO between the DSLL and ASLR. Greater iv mean muscle activation was observed in the EO [right-(p = .006) and left-(p = .020)] and RA [right-(p = .004) and left (p = .044)] during the DSLL than the RASLR. The EO [right-(p = .044) and left (p = .003)] and right RA (p = .002) had greater mean muscle activation during the DSLL than the LASLR. Greater peak EO [right-(p = .016) and left (p = .028)] and right RA (p= .003) muscle activation was observed during the RASLR than the DSLL. The left TrA/IO had greater peak muscle activation during the LASLR than the RASLR. Greater peak muscle activation was observed in the left EO (p = .005) and right RA (p = .001) during the LASLR and DSLL. The right TrA/IO (p = 0.45) had greater mean muscle activation during the RASLR than the LASLR. The left TrA/IO (p = .012) had greater mean muscle activation during the LASLR than the RASLR. Conclusion: The DSLL and ASLR do not assess the TrA/IO, EO, and RA in the same way. The ASLR recruits the TrA/IO more than the DSLL. The DSLL activates the EO and RA more than the ASLR. There are different activation patterns depending on the leg being raised during the ASLR.

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