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Abstract
Research reveals that the primary impairment of the muscular system in individuals with low back pain is not one of strength or functional capacity but rather one of motor control of the deep muscles of the trunk. These deep muscles include the transversus abdominis, the deep segmental fibers of lumbar multifidus, the pelvic floor, and the diaphragm. Advances in knowledge regarding load transfer in the lumbopelvic region have provided the orthopaedic manual therapist with the necessary tools to assess most components of lumbopelvic dysfunction with the exclusion of an evaluation technique for pelvic floor motor control. The use of ultrasound imaging to observe the real-time contraction of muscles is a valuable tool, specifically when the muscles of interest are deep and not readily observable. The author proposes a novel abdominal ultrasound imaging method to assess voluntary pelvic floor motor control and discusses the rationale for its application in a population with lumbopelvic dysfunction.