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Altered ultrasonographic activity of abdominal muscles during breathing in males with and without nonspecific chronic low back pain

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the altered ultrasonographic activity of abdominal muscles during breathing in males with and without nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP).

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Methods

Twenty males with NSCLBP and 20 males without NSCLBP were recruited. Muscle thickness change was measured by ultrasonography during breathing in the end-inspiration and end-expiration phases for the transverse abdominis (TrA), internal oblique (IO), external oblique (EO), and rectus abdominis (RA) muscles. The data were normalized to the end-inspiration thickness. An independent t test was run to analyze the data at a confidence level of 95% (p < 0.05).

Results

The participants with NSCLBP had thicker IO muscles in the end-inspiration (p = 0.030) and end-expiration (p = 0.017) phases as well as greater RA (p = 0.006) and smaller EO (p = 0.003) normalized thickness changes during breathing.

Conclusion

The normalized thickness changes during breathing differed between the participants with and without NSCLBP. Reduced EO and increased RA activity may predispose the spine to further injuries. Therefore, normalizing the breathing pattern should be considered in the management of people with NSCLBP.

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Data availability

The datasets analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Evin, Tehran, Iran

    Amir Massoud Arab

  2. Department of Corrective Exercise and Sport Injury, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran

    Rahman Sheikhhoseini

  3. Department of Public Health and Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Omid Rasouli

Authors
  1. Amir Massoud Arab
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  2. Rahman Sheikhhoseini
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  3. Omid Rasouli
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Contributions

AMA, RS, and OR had contributions in the development of original idea, protocol development, data analysis, data collection, prepared the manuscript, and read and approved the final manuscript, and also, RS drafted the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rahman Sheikhhoseini.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval and consent to participate

All research processes and methods were approved in terms of ethical considerations in the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences coded.

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All participants fulfilled the informed consent form.

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Arab, A.M., Sheikhhoseini, R. & Rasouli, O. Altered ultrasonographic activity of abdominal muscles during breathing in males with and without nonspecific chronic low back pain. J Ultrasound 24, 457–462 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-020-00528-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-020-00528-w

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