Changes in Lumbopelvic Movement and Muscle Recruitment Associated with Prolonged Deep Squatting: A Pilot Study

Tim K. S. Lui, Sharon M. H. Tsang and Anthony W. L. Kwok
Additional contact information
Tim K. S. Lui: Department of Physiotherapy, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong, China
Sharon M. H. Tsang: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Anthony W. L. Kwok: School of Medical and Health Sciences, Tung Wah College, Hong Kong, China

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 5, 1-16

Abstract: This study examined the changes in spinal kinematics and muscle recruitment of the lumbopelvic region associated with prolonged squatting. Eight subjects with chronic nonspecific low back pain (LBP) and eight asymptomatic subjects (AS) performed squat-to-stand and reverse movements, before and immediately after 15 min deep-squatting. Within-group and between-group differences in lumbopelvic kinematics and electromyographic activity acquired in lumbar erector spinae (ES), gluteus maximus (GM), and vastus lateralis (VL) were analyzed. During squat-to-stand after squatting, the LBP group showed slower then faster lumbar movement in the second and third quartiles, respectively. In the second quartile, the AS group moved with a significantly greater lumbar angle. However, significantly greater bilateral GM activity (+4–4.5%) was found in the LBP group only. A more profound decrease in bilateral ES activity (−10%) was also shown in the LBP group, yet this was nonsignificant compared to the AS group (−4%). In the third quartile, only the LBP group moved with a significantly greater lumbar angle, together with a significant increase in bilateral ES (+6–8%) and GM muscle (+2–3%) activity. The findings of the altered pattern of joint kinematics and recruitment of the key lumbopelvic muscles displayed in the LBP group inform on the possible mechanisms that may contribute to the increased risk of developing lumbar dysfunctions for people who work in prolonged squatting postures.

Keywords: low back pain; prolonged squatting; lumbopelvic movement; kinematics; muscle recruitment; creep; workers (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/5/1001/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/15/5/1001/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:1001-:d:146785

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().