The immediate effect of two lumbar stabilization methods on postural control parameters and their reliability during two balance tasks

ABSTRACT

Background: Lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) and/or the isolated contraction of the transversus abdominis muscle by the abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) can increase lumbar stiffness, consequently influencing postural control. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of LSO and ADIM on postural control during two balance tasks and determine their reliability.

Methods: Twenty participants (50% men) randomly performed three experimental conditions: 1) without lumbar stabilization, 2) with LSO), and 3) with ADIM. Each experimental condition was tested in two postural tasks: semi-tandem and one-legged stance on a force platform for 30 seconds, while the Center of pressure postural (COP) parameters were computed.

Results: The two methods of lumbar stabilization were comparable and did not significantly reduce the COP values across time, even though a few individuals presented a change in their COP data above the levels of measurement errors. The reliability of these measurements was generally acceptable and sometimes excellent ($\ge$ 0.90 and ≤10% error measurement).

Conclusions: Both LSO and isolated contraction of the transversus abdominis muscle by ADIM do not change postural control in one-legged stance and in semi-tandem tasks. These results have implications for use or not these methods for postural control on a rehabilitation perspective.

KEYWORDS:

• Postural control
• low back pain
• lumbar stabilization
• rehabilitation

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participants in this study for their technical assistance during the experimental protocol.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the PSDRc and FUQAC [2019].

Notes on contributors

Mohamed Abdelhafid Kadri

Mohamed Abdelhafid Kadri received a Ph.D. degree in STAPS (the neurophysiology of muscle exercise and human posture; 2018) from the University of Pau et des pays de l’Adour (Pau, France). He is currently a postdoctoral fellowship at the biomechanical & neurophysiological research laboratory in neuro-musculoskeletal rehabilitation (BioNR), and at the Research Center CISD since March 2019 (Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, QC, Canada). His areas of research focus particularly on the study of clinical and neurophysiological aspects of sensorimotor integration during postural control, with the use of innovative technologies such as vibratory stimulation.

Marianne Violette

Marianne Violette received a B.Sc. degree in Rehabilitation Science (2019) from McGill University (program in extension at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi). She is currently working as a physical therapist.

Mathieu Dallaire

Mathieu Dallaire received a B.Sc. degree in Rehabilitation Science (2019). He is currently in a M.Sc. in Physical Therapy from McGill University (program in extension at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi) and working as a physical therapist.

Fábio Carlos Lucas de Oliveira

Fabio Carlos Lucas de Oliveira received a B.Sc. degree in Physiotherapy in Brazil (2004) and received his M.Sc. in Biokinetics from Faculty of Sports Sciences and Physical Education of the University of Coimbra (Portugal, 2011). He is currently a Physiotherapist, PhD in Clinical and Biomedical Sciences - Rehabilitation at Université Laval (Québec city, Canada) at the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS). His main fields of activity are accelerated rehabilitation of sports injuries and the effects of rehabilitation techniques on symptoms and functional limitations of rotator cuff tendinopathy.

Martin Lavallière

Martin Lavallière is a professor of kinesiology at the Department of health sciences at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC). He currently serves as a board member of the Quebec national board of road safety (RRSR), the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professional (CARSP) and on different ISO committees in regards to driving and human machine interface.

Suzy Ngomo

Suzy Ngomo holds a doctorate in General Medicine (1998), a master’s degree (MSc) in Research Sciences/Biological Sciences (2005) and a PhD in Experimental Medicine (2012). She went on to complete a postdoctoral internship at McGill University (2013). Professor – researcher and director of the Department of Health Sciences at Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Quebec, Canada), Suzy Ngomo is interested in the interactions between pain and motor functions, as well as the optimization of the brain’s restorative abilities in the presence of changes to the neuromusculoskeletal system.

Louis-David Beaulieu

Louis-David Beaulieu received a B.Sc. degree in Physiotherapy (2010), a M.Sc. degree in Neurobiology (2012) and Ph.D. degree in experimental medicine (adaptation/rehabilitation concentration; 2016) from the Université Laval (Québec, QC, Canada). He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Research Center on Aging of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS from 2016 to 2017 (Université de Sherbrooke, QC, Canada). He is currently associate professor at the physical therapy program of the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (Saguenay, QC, Canada). His research areas particularly focus on the study of clinical and neurophysiological aspects of sensorimotor recovery in neurological and musculoskeletal pathologies, with the use of innovative technologies such as non-invasive neurostimulation.

Christian Larivière

Christian Larivière is a physical educator by training, he completed his doctoral studies in clinical sciences at Université de Sherbrooke in 1998. He had a post-doctoral fellowship in biomedical sciences from 1998 to 2000 at Université de Montréal and has been a biomechanics researcher at the IRSST since 2001. His main research interests are the development of tools for assessing neuromuscular functions of the trunk and of interventions for improving lumbar spine stability in worker populations with low back pain. He is also interested in the relationship between certain psychological factors associated with chronic pain and (1) neuromuscular responses, (2) physical activity, and (3) adherence to treatment. He has published over 80 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals.

Rubens A. da Silva

Rubens da Silva received a B.Sc. degree in Physiotherapy in 2000 and a Master and Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences (Rehabilitation) in 2003 and 2008, respectively from the University of Montreal in Canada. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Elisabeth Bruyere Research Institute affiliated to Ottawa University from 2008 (Canada) and a senior fellow at the Florida International University from 2016 (USA). Since 2017, he is an Associate professor at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), and Adjunct professor at the McGill University (Quebec, Canada). He is titular member of research laboratory BioNR (UQAC), and of research center CISD. He is also researcher-professor in Doctoral and Master Rehabilitation in Science program at the UNOPAR University (Londrina-PR, BR). He is actually the director of physical therapy clinic in UQAC. His current research interests include the study of aging, postural control, falls prevention, low back pain, exercise, muscle fatigue.