Changes in deep lumbar stabilizing muscle thickness by transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation in patients with low back pain.

Background: Transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is known to stimulate contraction of deep lumbar stabilizing muscles.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in deep lumbar stabilizing muscle thickness during transcutaneous NMES on specific abdominal wall and paraspinal regions.

Methods: Thirty patients with low back pain (LBP) were recruited.

The effects of transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the activation of deep lumbar stabilizing muscles of patients with lumbar degenerative kyphosis.

[Purpose] To investigate the effectiveness of three different neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocols for the deep lumbar stabilizing muscles of patients with lumbar degenerative kyphosis (LDK). [Subjects and Methods] Twenty patients with LDK were recruited. Three stimulation protocols were investigated: stimulation of the abdominal muscles (protocol A); stimulation of the lumbar muscles (protocol B); and simultaneous stimulation of the abdominal and lumbar muscles (protocol A+B).

Pelvic floor muscle contraction and abdominal hollowing during walking can selectively activate local trunk stabilizing muscles.

Background: Trunk muscle exercises are widely performed, and many studies have been performed to examine their effects on low back pains. However, the effect of trunk muscles activations during walking with pelvic floor muscle contraction (PFMC) and abdominal hollowing (AH) has not been clarified.

Object: To investigate whether walking with PFMC and AH is more effective for promoting local trunk muscle activation than walking without PFMC and AH.

The Effect of GCSB-5 a New Herbal Medicine on Changes in Pain Behavior and Neuroglial Activation in a Rat Model of Lumbar Disc Herniation.

Objective: Lumbar disc herniation can induce sciatica by mechanical compression and/or chemical irritation. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of GCSB-5 (Shinbaro®) and NSAIDs on pain-related behavior and on the expressions of microglia, astrocytes, CGRP, TRPV1, IL-6, and CX3CL1 in a rat model of lumbar disc herniation.

Methods: 112 male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent implantation of nucleus pulposus to a dorsal root ganglion (DRG).

Activations of deep lumbar stabilizing muscles by transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation of lumbar paraspinal regions.

Objective: To investigate changes in lumbar multifidus (LM) and deep lumbar stabilizing abdominal muscles (transverse abdominis [TrA] and obliquus internus [OI]) during transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of lumbar paraspinal L4-L5 regions using real-time ultrasound imaging (RUSI).

Methods: Lumbar paraspinal regions of 20 healthy physically active male volunteers were stimulated at 20, 50, and 80 Hz. Ultrasound images of the LM, TrA, OI, and obliquus externus (OE) were captured during stimulation at each frequency.

Verification of an optimized stimulation point on the abdominal wall for transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation for activation of deep lumbar stabilizing muscles.

Background Context: Transcutaneous neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can stimulate contractions in deep lumbar stabilizing muscles. An optimal protocol has not been devised for the activation of these muscles by NMES, and information is lacking regarding an optimal stimulation point on the abdominal wall.

Purpose: The goal was to determine a single optimized stimulation point on the abdominal wall for transcutaneous NMES for the activation of deep lumbar stabilizing muscles.

CST recovery in pediatric hemiplegic patients: Diffusion tensor tractography study.

Many diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have reported an association between corticospinal tract (CST) injury and motor dysfunction. In this study, we investigated CST recovery in 29 pediatric patients with clinical hemiplegia using DTI. We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and asymmetric anisotropy (AA) of both CSTs.

Relation between cingulum injury and cognition in chronic patients with traumatic brain injury; diffusion tensor tractography study.

Objectives: Many diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have reported an association between cingulum injury and cognition in patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) using DTI parameters. In this study, we attempted to investigate the relation between cingulum injury and cognition in chronic patients with TBI, using the integrity of the cingulum as well as DTI parameters.

Method: Thirty five consecutive chronic patients with TBI were recruited.