Abstract
BackgroundExercise is one of the few treatments that provide significant improvements in chronic low back pain (CLBP). We developed an innovative exercise device for abdominal trunk muscles. This device can be used in a sitting or standing position and contains a built-in system to measure abdominal trunk muscle strength. We examined whether subjects can adequately use the device to perform the exercises and measure their abdominal trunk muscle strength.MethodsWe collected data on the body height, body weight, body mass index, and girth of 30 healthy male volunteers, and measured their grip power and trunk extensor muscle strength using a dynamometer. The volunteers performed a sit-up test as an indicator of trunk flexor muscle strength, and we measured their abdominal muscle strength using the device. We then evaluated the correlations between abdominal trunk muscle strength and anthropometric parameters as well as the strength of other muscles. In subsequent tests, 5 of the 30 subjects participated in two positron emission tomography (PET) series consisting of examinations after a resting period (control study) and during exercise (exercise study). For the exercise study, the subjects performed 2 sets of exercises for 20 minutes using the device before and after an injection of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). PET-computed tomography images were obtained 60 minutes after FDG injection in each study. We compared the skeletal muscle metabolism of the participants in both studies using the standardized uptake value.ResultsThe muscle strength measured by the device and the 30-second sit-up frequency were correlated. FDG accumulation within the diaphragm and abdominal rectus muscles was significantly higher in the exercise study.ConclusionOur innovative exercise device facilitates a coordinated contraction of the abdominal trunk muscles at the anterior aspect and the roof of the core, and enables subjects to measure the strength of these muscles.
Highlights
Low back pain (LBP) is a common clinical problem and has significant adverse socioeconomic implications [1]
Our innovative exercise device facilitates a coordinated contraction of the abdominal trunk muscles at the anterior aspect and the roof of the core, and enables subjects to measure the strength of these muscles
This study aimed to examine whether abdominal trunk muscle strength can be measured and whether healthy subjects can adequately perform the muscle strengthening exercises using the device
Summary
Low back pain (LBP) is a common clinical problem and has significant adverse socioeconomic implications [1]. Nonspecific LBP is defined as LBP not attributable to a recognizable, known specific pathology such as infection, tumor, fracture, structural deformity, inflammatory disorder, or neurological syndrome [4, 5]. This is the most common type of LBP [4, 5]. We developed an innovative exercise device for abdominal trunk muscles. We examined whether subjects can adequately use the device to perform the exercises and measure their abdominal trunk muscle strength
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