Effects of real-time ultrasound as biofeedback on transversus abdominis activation level in patients with chronic low back pain / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To investigate the effects of abdominal drawing-in maneuver with real-time ultrasound biofeedback on transversus abdominis activation level during functional tasks in different positions in patients of chronic low back pain with stabilization-deficit.@*Methods@#Nineteen patients of chronic low back pain with stabilization-deficit were randomly divided into verbal instruction group(n=9) and ultrasound biofeedback group(n=10), and received abdominal drawing-in maneuver with verbal instruction and ultrasound biofeedback respectively. Percentage changes of transversus abdominis thickness during supine and upright loaded tasks were compared before and after intervention.@*Results@#After intervention, percentage changes of transversus abdominis thickness increased significantly in verbal instruction group during supinehip external rotation, straight leg raising and upright loaded functional tasks (P<0.05), and percentage changes of transversus abdominis thickness during supine hip and knee flexion demonstrated great increases(P<0.01). After intervention, percentage changes of transversus abdominis thickness demonstrated great increases in ultrasound biofeedback group during all functional tasks(P<0.01). No differences were observed between the two groups(P>0.05).@*Conclusions@#Ultrasound image could effectively assess the thickness changes of transversus abdominis in patients with chronic low back pain during supine and upright loaded functional tasks. Ultrasound image could provide chronic low back pain patients with real-time and dynamic visual feedback. However, compared with verbal instruction, adding real-time ultrasound biofeedback to abdominal drawing-in maneuver does not further increase the transversus abdominis activation level.