Resistance exercise with devices offering mechanisms to isolate the lumbar spine is effective to improve muscle strength and clinical outcomes. However, previously assessed devices with these mechanisms are not conducive for home exercise... more
Resistance exercise with devices offering mechanisms to isolate the lumbar spine is effective to improve muscle strength and clinical outcomes. However, previously assessed devices with these mechanisms are not conducive for home exercise programs. The purpose of this study was to assess the surface electromyographic (EMG) activity of the lumbar extensor muscles during dynamic exercise on a home back extension exercise device. Ten adults (5 F, 5 M) performed dynamic lumbar extension exercise on a home device at three loads: 1.00 × body weight (BW), 1.25 × BW and 1.50 × BW. Surface EMG activity from the L3/4 paraspinal region was collected. The effect of exercise load, phase of movement, and position in the range of motion on lumbar extensor EMG activity (normalized to % maximum voluntary isometric contraction) was assessed. Lumbar extensor EMG activity significantly increased from 1.00 BW to 1.50 BW loads (p = 0.0006), eccentric to concentric phases (p < 0.0001), and flexion to e...
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BACKGROUND: Although diagnosis and treatment of depressive illness is outside the scope of practice for non-behavioral health practitioners such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, kinesiotherapists, and chiropractors, it... more
BACKGROUND: Although diagnosis and treatment of depressive illness is outside the scope of practice for non-behavioral health practitioners such as occupational therapists, physical therapists, kinesiotherapists, and chiropractors, it frequently is comorbid with painful musculoskeletal disorders such as low back pain and it negatively affects outcomes, including return to work. As psychologically-informed practice becomes more widely implemented without the immediate availability of behavioral health practitioners, safe and effective methods to screen for and appropriately triage depressive illness by nonbehavioral health practitioners are necessary. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate the efficacy and validity of a method employed by non-behavioral health practitioners to screen for and appropriately triage musculoskeletal pain patients who also are experiencing depressive illness. METHODS: As part of a previously-published psychometric research study conducted in a community-based musculos...
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A pre- and postintervention randomized, controlled trial was conducted. To evaluate the effect of progressive resistance exercise training using a variable-angle Roman chair on the development of lumbar extensor endurance and strength.... more
A pre- and postintervention randomized, controlled trial was conducted. To evaluate the effect of progressive resistance exercise training using a variable-angle Roman chair on the development of lumbar extensor endurance and strength. Progressive resistance exercise for the lumbar extensors has been used successfully for low back pain rehabilitation, but the limitations of currently available back exercise devices have negatively affected its use. For this study, 36 healthy volunteers were randomized into one of two groups: a variable-angle Roman chair exercise group (n = 18) that performed one set of 15 to 25 repetitions of dynamic progressive resistance back extension exercise on a variable-angle Roman chair three times per week for 8 weeks or a control group (n = 18) that did not perform resistance exercise. Before training and after 4 and 8 weeks of training, static back extension endurance (seconds) and isometric lumbar extension strength (Newton.meters) were recorded. The var...
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Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are routinely used in physical medicine to ascertain an individual's work ability; with lift capacity being an important aspect of many evaluations. Despite the widespread use of lift capacity... more
Functional Capacity Evaluations (FCEs) are routinely used in physical medicine to ascertain an individual's work ability; with lift capacity being an important aspect of many evaluations. Despite the widespread use of lift capacity tests, there are few studies that provide age and gender normative data. To evaluate the safety, reliability, and validity of the EPIC Lift Capacity test, and to examine the effects of age and gender on lift capacity. This study used a test-retest design with 4,443 adult participants in good general health. Test-retest of participants' lift capacity was undertaken to examine safety and reliability. Age and gender and the self-reported physical demands of each employed participant's usual and customary job were collected to examine validity. Safety and reliability were demonstrated for both measures of lift capacity for each of the six sub-tests in the EPIC Lift Capacity test battery. Inter-subtest differences and expected age and gender differ...
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ABSTRACT Study Design. A pre- and postintervention randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Objective. To evaluate the effect of progressive resistance exercise training using a variable-angle Roman chair on the development of lumbar... more
ABSTRACT Study Design. A pre- and postintervention randomized, controlled trial was conducted. Objective. To evaluate the effect of progressive resistance exercise training using a variable-angle Roman chair on the development of lumbar extensor endurance and strength. Summary of Background Data. Progressive resistance exercise for the lumbar extensors has been used successfully for low back pain rehabilitation, but the limitations of currently available back exercise devices have negatively affected its use. Methods. For this study, 36 healthy volunteers were randomized into one of two groups: a variable-angle Roman chair exercise group (n = 18) that performed one set of 15 to 25 repetitions of dynamic progressive resistance back extension exercise on a variable-angle Roman chair three times per week for 8 weeks or a control group (n = 18) that did not perform resistance exercise. Before training and after 4 and 8 weeks of training, static back extension endurance (seconds) and isometric lumbar extension strength (Newton·meters) were recorded. Results. The variable-angle Roman chair exercise group displayed a 42% increase in static back extension endurance at the 4-week and 8-week tests relative to the pretraining measure (P &lt; 0.05). The control group did not increase back endurance time at either the 4-week or 8-week tests (P &gt; 0.05). Neither the variable-angle Roman chair exercise group nor the control group displayed an increase in lumbar extension strength at the 4-week or 8-week tests (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions. Dynamic progressive resistance exercise training on a variable-angle Roman chair is capable of developing back extension endurance. Future research is needed to determine the clinical applicability of variable-angle Roman chair exercise training for patients with low back pain patients.