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. 2009 Apr;88(4):302-7.
doi: 10.1097/PHM.0b013e318198b6ed.

Lumbar flexion and dynamic EMG among persons with single level disk herniation pre- and postsurgery with radicular low-back pain

Agnes S Wallbom  1 , Michael E Geisser, John Koch, Andrew J Haig, Catherine Guido, Julian T Hoff
Affiliations

Lumbar flexion and dynamic EMG among persons with single level disk herniation pre- and postsurgery with radicular low-back pain

Agnes S Wallbom et al. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2009 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: The paraspinal muscles often fail to relax on forward flexion in many persons with low-back pain. The goal of this prospective study was to determine whether this abnormal lack of a flexion-relaxation phenomenon corrects after lumbar diskectomy for symptoms of radiculopathy with low-back pain.

Design: Electromyographic testing was performed on 17 patients before and 30 days after lumbar diskectomy.

Results: Although pain improved significantly (P < 0.05), the flexion-relaxation phenomenon did not improve.

Conclusions: Failure to recover muscle relaxation while pain is relieved suggests another mechanism for paraspinal activity.

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