Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the associations between electromyography (EMG) activity and key muscle quality parameters, including cross-sectional area (CSA), functional cross-sectional area (FCSA), fat area (FA), and fat infiltration (FI), in individuals with chronic low back pain (cLBP) and those without back pain (no-BP). The objective was to explore how variations in muscle quality affect muscle activation patterns in the erector spinae (ES) and multifidus (MF) muscles during a standardized lifting task in both groups.
Methods: A total of 102 participants were enrolled, comprising 60 individuals with cLBP and 42 without back pain. Muscle activation was measured using a bipolar wireless EMG system during the performance of a 10 kg lifting task. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was utilized to assess muscle quality indicators (CSA, FCSA, FA, and FI) at the L3 level for the ES muscle and the L5 level for the MF muscle. Linear regression models were applied to examine the associations between EMG activity and muscle quality metrics, with adjustments for age, sex, and body mass index (BMI).
Results: In the no-BP group, significant negative associations were found between CSA, FCSA, and EMG activity in the ES muscles (p < 0.05). However, in the cLBP group, no significant associations were observed between CSA or FCSA and EMG activity. Instead, there was a significant negative association between EMG activity and FA/FI in the ES muscles of the cLBP group (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Muscle quality, particularly fat infiltration, appears to have a greater impact on the amplitude of muscle activities in cLBP patients compared to CSA and FCSA. In contrast to the no-BP group, CSA and FCSA were not significantly associated with muscle activation in the cLBP group, highlighting the need for rehabilitation strategies focused on reducing fat infiltration to improve muscle performance in these patients.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-08727-x | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Efficacy of a Supervised Exercise Program on Pain, Physical Function, and Quality of Life in Patients With Breast Cancer: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial.
JMIR Res Protoc
March 2025
Paseo de los Encomendadores, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Burgos, Burgos, Spain.
Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide. Treatments for this disease often result in side effects such as pain, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and reduced quality of life. Physical exercise has been shown to effectively mitigate these side effects and improve the quality of life in patients with breast cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNovel Controlled Metabolic Accelerator for Obesity-Related HFpEF: The HuMAIN-HFpEF Randomized Clinical Trial.
JAMA Cardiol
March 2025
Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Section on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Importance: Excess body fat plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). HU6 is a novel, controlled metabolic accelerator that enhances mitochondrial uncoupling resulting in increased metabolism and fat-specific weight loss.
Objective: To assess efficacy and safety of HU6 in reducing body weight, improving peak volume of oxygen consumption (VO2) and body composition among patients with obesity-related HFpEF.
Postmortem Changes of Desmin, Talin-2, Vinculin, and Integrin β1 in Chicken Breast and Their Effects on Tenderness.
J Agric Food Chem
March 2025
College of Food Science and Technology, National Center of Meat Quality and Safety Control, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Costameres are essential for maintaining the integrity of muscle fibers, which affects the meat tenderness. To explore the pattern of alteration in costameres after slaughter, this study investigated the distribution of costamere proteins (desmin, talin-2, vinculin, and integrin β1), their impact on tenderness, and the involved enzymes. Western blot analysis showed that talin-2 significantly degraded in postmortem, while integrin β1 significantly increased at 48 h ( < 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEpidemiological study of injuries in artistic swimming: a systematic review.
Front Sports Act Living
February 2025
Physical Exercise and Performance Research Group, Department of Education Science, School of Humanities and Communication Sciences, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Castellon de la Plana, Spain.
Introduction: Artistic swimming is a highly technical sport that requires a large volume of training and forced positions that generate a high risk of injury.
Objective: to compile scientific evidence on the incidence of injuries in artistic swimming. Literature study: PubMed, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus databases were used to search for studies that analysed the epidemiology of injuries in artistic swimmers of any age and gender until June 2024.
Sarcopenia in Terminally Ill Patients with Cancer: Clinical Implications, Diagnostic Challenges, and Management Strategies.
J Hosp Palliat Care
March 2025
Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Gyeongsang National University Changwon Hospital, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
Sarcopenia, characterized by progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, is a prevalent but often overlooked condition in patients with cancer who are terminally ill. It contributes to functional decline, increased symptom burden, and reduced quality of life, yet remains underrecognized in palliative care. Diagnosing sarcopenia in this population is challenging because conventional imaging techniques are often impractical.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWant AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!