ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Changes in motor control may contribute to muscle recruitment deficits. The objective of this study was to evaluate strength, endurance, and recruitment of the torso muscles.
METHODS:
We evaluated 35 women, divided into two groups: chronic low back pain (LBPG, n=20) and control (CG, n=15). The clinical conditions, incapacity, level of pain, strength, endurance and the muscles recruitment: internal oblique (IO) and external oblique (EO), rectus abdominis (RA), lumbar iliocostal (LI) and lumbar multifidus (LM) were evaluated. MANOVA, MANCOVA and Kruskal-Wallis were used.
RESULTS:
There was no significant difference between groups in the muscle strength test (p<0.172). The control group showed the greater capacity for muscle endurance in the muscle endurance test (p<0.001). In muscle recruitment, the chronic low back pain group presented greater muscle activation, which was evident in the global stabilizing muscles EO and RA (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION:
Women with back pain had reduced muscular endurance and greater recruitment of the global muscles when compared to women with no back pain.
Keywords:
Electromyography; Lumbar pain; Muscle strength; Physical resistance
