Influence of anterior load carriage on lumbar muscle activation while walking in stable and unstable shoes.

Load carriage can be harmful for workers, and alternative interventions to reduce back pain while walking and carrying loads are necessary. Unstable shoes have been used to improve balance and reduce back pain, but it is unknown whether walking wearing unstable shoes while carrying loads anteriorly causes excessive trunk extensors muscle activation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different shoe types and anterior load carriage on gait kinematics and lumbar electromyographic (EMG) activity.