Long latency reflex response of superficial trunk musculature in athletes with chronic low back pain

Abstract

Chronic LBP athletes exhibit a delay in onset latency to Unexpected perturbations and reduced long latency response amplitudes to perturbation tasks compared to asymptomatic athletes. These changes could predispose athletes to recurrent low back pain and further injury.

Effects of Muscle Fatigue, Creep, and Musculoskeletal Pain on Neuromuscular Responses to Unexpected Perturbation of the Trunk: A Systematic Review

“…Three studies reported increased internal obliquus reflex latencies in patients with LBP (Radebold et al, 2000, 2001; Liebetrau et al, 2013), while one did not (Akbari et al, 2015). Lastly, patients with LBP exhibited significantly longer reflex latencies over the rectus abdominis muscles in a majority of studies (Radebold et al, 2000, 2001; Reeves et al, 2005; Ramprasad et al, 2010; Liebetrau et al, 2013; Shenoy et al, 2013). However, three studies failed to identify differences between LBP patients and controls (Newcomer et al, 2002; Lariviere et al, 2010; Akbari et al, 2015).…”

“…A total of 15 studies investigated the effect of LBP and neuromuscular adaptations following unexpected trunk perturbation (Radebold et al, 2000, 2001; Newcomer et al, 2002; Reeves et al, 2005; Stokes et al, 2006; Lariviere et al, 2010; MacDonald et al, 2010; Ramprasad et al, 2010; Jacobs et al, 2011; Jones et al, 2012a,b; Liebetrau et al, 2013; Shenoy et al, 2013; Gao et al, 2014; Akbari et al, 2015). Among these studies, two recruited participants with acute/episodic LBP (Stokes et al, 2006; Jones et al, 2012b) while all other included participants with chronic LBP.…”

“…Among all studies investigating erector spinae reflex latency in patients with LBP, six studies found longer latencies in patients vs. healthy participants (Radebold et al, 2000, 2001; Reeves et al, 2005; Ramprasad et al, 2010; Shenoy et al, 2013; Gao et al, 2014), while four studies did not find significant differences between those two populations (Newcomer et al, 2002; Lariviere et al, 2010; Liebetrau et al, 2013; Akbari et al, 2015). As for external obliquus reflex latencies, results from three different studies showed longer latencies (Radebold et al, 2000, 2001; Reeves et al, 2005), while four studies did not find differences between patients with chronic LBP and healthy participants (Lariviere et al, 2010; Liebetrau et al, 2013; Gao et al, 2014; Akbari et al, 2015).…”

“…However, two studies reported a decreased erector spinae muscle reflex amplitude in patients with chronic LBP (Ramprasad et al, 2010; Shenoy et al, 2013), while two others studies failed to identify differences between patients with chronic LBP and healthy controls (Jacobs et al, 2011; Liebetrau et al, 2013). Moreover, one study has found that the superficial multifidus reflex amplitude decreased in patients with chronic LBP compared to controls (MacDonald et al, 2010), while one study failed to found a difference between patients with chronic LBP and controls (Liebetrau et al, 2013).…”

“…Maximal amplitude value is usually the predominant method to determine reflex amplitude (Granata et al, 2004, 2005; Herrmann et al, 2006; Rogers and Granata, 2006; Grondin and Potvin, 2009; Dupeyron et al, 2010; Sanchez-Zuriaga et al, 2010; Liebetrau et al, 2013; Olson, 2014). However, a few studies have also examined reflex amplitude through EMG time windows of various duration (i.e., 10- to 75-ms windows; MacDonald et al, 2010; Ramprasad et al, 2010; Jacobs et al, 2011; Jones et al, 2012a,b; Shenoy et al, 2013). Finally, and perhaps of utmost importance, authors seems to disagree on what should be consider as reflex responses or voluntary movements.…”