19 research outputs found
Systematic Review of countermeasures to minimise physiological changes and risk of injury to the lumbopelvic area following long-term microgravity
No full textBackgroundNo studies have been published on an astronaut population to assess the effectiveness of countermeasures for limiting physiological changes in the lumbopelvic region caused by microgravity exposure during spaceflight. However, several studies in this area have been done using spaceflight simulation via bed-rest. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of countermeasures designed to limit physiological changes to the lumbopelvic region caused by spaceflight simulation by means of bed-rest.MethodsElectronic databases were searched from the start of their records to November 2014. Studies were assessed with PEDro, Cochrane Risk of Bias and a bed-rest study quality tool. Magnitude based inferences were used to assess countermeasure effectiveness.ResultsSeven studies were included. There was a lack of consistency across studies in reporting of outcome measures. Some countermeasures were found to be successful in preventing some lumbopelvic musculoskeletal changes, but not others. For example, resistive vibration exercise prevented muscle changes, but showed the potential to worsen loss of lumbar lordosis and intervertebral disc height.ConclusionFuture studies investigating countermeasures should report consistent outcomes, and also use an actual microgravity environment. Additional research with patient reported quality of life and functional outcome measures is advocated
Countermeasure Development for Lumbopelvic Deconditioning in Space
No full textPhysical inactivity and lumbopelvic deconditioning have been linked to increased incidence of non-specific low back pain (LBP) and spinal injury in those exposed to microgravity (e.g. Astronauts and long duration bed rest) and in the general population. Astronauts have an increased risk of experiencing moderate to severe LBP during microgravity exposure and herniated intervertebral discs within one year following spaceflight. Atrophy and reduced motor control of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles resulting from periods of deconditioning is linked to non-specific LBP and spinal injury risk in both post flight astronauts and general populations. However, voluntary recruitment of these two key muscles is difficult and presents a rehabilitation challenge. This chapter reviews the concept of spinal stability as it relates to microgravity, discusses how existing exercise countermeasures used in space do not successfully maintain lumbopelvic muscle size, and introduces the Functional Readaptive Exercise Device (FRED) that shows potential to activate the LM and TrA muscles automatically and in a tonic fashion, which has relevance to rehabilitation of both astronaut and terrestrial populations
Validity and Reliability of the Hippotherapy Evaluation and Assessment Tool
No full textAbstract
Date Presented 3/31/2017
The benefits of hippotherapy include posture, dynamic motor skills, sensory processing, and psychosocial factors. Debuse, Gibb, and Chandler (2009) suggested limited evidence supporting hippotherapy; no common assessment tool exists. This presentation will share research about a newly developed assessment.
Primary Author and Speaker: Mary Shotwell
Contributing Authors: Deborah Weissman-Miller, Tara Malone, Brooke O’Kelley, Elizabeth Post, Irma Alvarado</jats:p
The immediate effects of exercise using the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device on lumbopelvic kinematics in people with and without low back pain
No full textBackground - Dysfunction of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles is associated with low back pain (LBP). The Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED) has shown potential as a non-specific LBP intervention by automatically recruiting LM and TrA. Loss or lordosis and altered lumbopelvic positioning has also been linked to LBP and is often trained within LM and TrA interventions. The effect that FRED exercise has on lumbopelvic positioning and lumbar lordosis is unknown.
Objectives - To assess the effect of FRED exercise on lumbopelvic kinematics and alignment to establish whether FRED exercise promotes a favourable lumbopelvic posture for training LM and TrA.
Design - Within and between-group comparison study.
Method - One hundred and thirty participants, 74 experiencing LBP, had lumbopelvic kinematic data measured during over-ground walking and FRED exercise. Magnitude-based inferences were used to compare walking with FRED exercise within participants and between the asymptomatic and LBP groups, to establish the effects of FRED exercise on lumbopelvic kinematics, compared to walking, in each group.
Results - FRED exercise promotes an immediate change in anterior pelvic tilt by 8.7° compared to walking in the no-LBP and LBP groups. Sagittal-plane spinal extension increased during FRED exercise at all spinal levels by 0.9° in the no-LBP group, and by 1.2° in the LBP group.
Conclusions - FRED exercise promotes a lumbopelvic position more conducive to LM and TrA training than walking in both asymptomatic people and those with LBP
Reliability and Precision of Sonography of the Lumbar Multifidus and Transversus Abdominis During Dynamic Activities
No full textObjective: To determine the intra-rater reliability and precision of measurement of lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) thickness using freehand ultrasound imaging (USI) in a range of static and dynamic conditions.
Methods: Fifteen asymptomatic participants performed a range of exercises whilst USI was used to measure absolute muscle thickness and change in muscle thickness from rest. Exercise conditions included the abdominal drawing in manoeuvre (ADIM), active straight leg raise (ASLR), contralateral arm lift, both unloaded (CAL) and loaded (LCAL), treadmill walking (WALK) and using the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED). Intra- and inter-day reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), and standard error of measurement was used to assess measurement precision.
Results: Good to excellent reliability was achieved for TrA and LM absolute thickness in all conditions. Measurement precision for absolute LM thickness was ≤2.8mm for CAL, ≤1.8mm for LCAL, ≤3.1mm for WALK and ≤3.8mm for FRED, and for absolute TrA thickness was ≤0.6mm for ADIM, ≤0.5mm for ASLR, ≤0.7mm for WALK and ≤0.5mm for FRED. Good to excellent reliability was achieved for TrA and LM relative muscle thickness in all conditions. Measurement precision for relative LM thickness was ≤3.7% for CAL, ≤3.8% for LCAL, ≤6.3% for WALK and ≤7.6% for FRED, and for relative TrA thickness was ≤13.6% for ADIM, ≤6.9% for ASLR, ≤11.1% for WALK and ≤7.2% for FRED.
Conclusions: Acceptable reliability and precision of measurement is achieved for absolute and relative measures of deep spinal muscle thickness using freehand USI in relatively static and dynamic exercises
Effect of time on biomechanics during exercise on the functional re-adaptive exercise device
No full textMechanistic studies of the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED) have shown it automatically recruits Lumbar Multifidus (LM) and Transversus Abdominis (TrA) – two deep-spinal muscles that are atrophied and show altered motor control in low back pain (LBP). No studies have investigated the time required to familiarise to FRED exercise, which is required to inform future FRED based clinical trial protocols. This study therefore determined the effect of time, during FRED exercise, on biomechanical outcome measures, to establish the familiarisation period, and assess for loss of technique throughout a ten minute trial. A cohort comparison study of 148 participants, 70 experiencing low back pain, had lumbopelvic kinematics, exercise frequency and movement variability measured during a 10 minute trial. Magnitude-based inference was used to assess for familiarisation, using plots of variation over time with familiarised reference ranges. The no pain group took 170 seconds, and the back pain group took 150 seconds, to familiarise. A familiarisation period of at least 170 seconds (2.8 minutes) is recommended. This justifies, and provides a familiarisation time for use of the FRED as a motor control intervention
Movement amplitude on the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device: deep spinal muscle activity and movement control
No full textPurpose: Lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) show altered motor control, and LM is atrophied, in people with low-back pain (LBP). The Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED) involves cyclical lower-limb movement against minimal resistance in an upright posture. It has been shown to recruit LM and TrA automatically, and may have potential as an intervention for non-specific LBP. However, no studies have yet investigated the effects of changes in FRED movement amplitude on the activity of these muscles. This study aimed to assess the effects of different FRED movement amplitudes on LM and TrA muscle thickness and movement variability, in order to inform an evidence-based exercise prescription.
Methods: Lumbar multifidus and TrA thickness of eight healthy male volunteers was examined using ultrasound imaging during FRED exercise, normalised to rest at four different movement amplitudes. Movement variability was also measured. Magnitude-based inferences were used to compare each amplitude.
Results: Exercise at all amplitudes recruited LM and TrA more than rest, with thickness increases of approximately 5 mm and 1 mm, respectively. Larger amplitudes also caused increased TrA thickness, LM and TrA muscle thickness variability and movement variability. The data suggest that all amplitudes are useful for recruiting LM and TrA.
Conclusions: A progressive training protocol should start in the smallest amplitude, increasing the setting once participants can maintain a consistent movement speed, in order to continue to challenge the motor control system
Effects of a six-week exercise intervention on function, pain and lumbar multifidus muscle cross-sectional area in chronic low back pain: A proof-of-concept study
No full textIntroduction
Exercise with the Functional Re-adaptive Exercise Device (FRED) has previously been shown to activate the lumbar multifidus (LM) and transversus abdominis (TrA) muscles in non-symptomatic volunteers. This study aimed to determine the effects of a six-week FRED exercise intervention on pain intensity, patient-reported function and LM cross sectional area (CSA) in people with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP).
Methods
Thirteen participants undertook six weeks of FRED exercise for up to 15 min, three times per week. At six weeks pre-, immediately pre-, immediately post-, and six and 15 weeks post-intervention, participants completed the Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Patient-Specific Functional Scale, and ultrasound imaging was used to assess the size of the LM muscles at L5 level. Changes in outcomes were assessed using effect size, confidence intervals and minimum clinically important difference (MCID).
Results
There was no improvement in pain intensity following the intervention. Patient-reported function improved by at least twice the MCID for all follow-up assessments compared to immediately pre-intervention (d = 4.20–6.58). Lumbar multifidus CSA showed a large effect size increase from immediately pre-intervention to immediately post-intervention (d = 0.8–1.1); this was maintained at six weeks post-intervention (not measured at 15 weeks post-intervention).
Conclusion
Six weeks of FRED exercise improved physical function in all 13 participants with chronic non-specific LBP who took part in this study and most participants' lumbar multifidus muscle CSA. On this basis, it may be an effective intervention for people with chronic LBP and should now be tested in a randomised controlled trial
Letter to the Editor
No full textI am a co-author of papers published in the Journal of Animal Science by Moeller et al. (2004) and Serenius et al. (2006) that report data from the National Pork Producers Council Maternal Line Evaluation project (MLE). In his letter to the editor, DeBuse (2007) claims that the authors of these papers misrepresented the line submitted by Newsham Hybrids (USA) Inc. (NH; Colorado Springs, CO) to the MLE. Below are the facts, as I know them, regarding the design and implementation of the MLE. The MLE tested crossbred females that represented maternal lines available to producers. It was designed to detect differences between lines for longevity traits, with probabilities of type 1 and type 2 errors of 0.05 and 0.75, respectively, requiring 531 females per line. The number of sires depended on the effective population size of the nucleus populations. Each participant was required to submit a minimum of 590 gilts per line to assure 531 breeding gilts. To assure that the nucleus populations were materially closed, 90% of the litters born during the last 5 years were required to have a sire that was born within the population, and 90% of the litters were required to have a dam that was born in the population
