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. 2024 Feb 21;12(5):514.
doi: 10.3390/healthcare12050514.

Trunk Muscle Activity and Ratio of Local Muscle to Global Muscle Activity during Supine Bridge Exercises under Unstable Conditions in Young Participants with and without Chronic Low Back Pain

Akimi Nakata  1 , Satoshi Osuka  1   2 , Tomoya Ishida  1 , Yuki Saito  3 , Mina Samukawa  1 , Satoshi Kasahara  1 , Yuta Koshino  1 , Naoki Oikawa  4 , Harukazu Tohyama  1
Affiliations

Trunk Muscle Activity and Ratio of Local Muscle to Global Muscle Activity during Supine Bridge Exercises under Unstable Conditions in Young Participants with and without Chronic Low Back Pain

Akimi Nakata et al. Healthcare (Basel). .

Abstract

Core exercises on an unstable surface increase trunk muscle activity, especially for local muscle groups. Therefore, there is a possibility that exercises on an unstable surface would be effective in the rehabilitation of non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). The present study assessed trunk muscle activities during bridge exercise on the floor and two kinds of unstable surfaces, i.e., a balance ball and the BOSU, for individuals with and without NSCLBP. This study enrolled 17 and 18 young participants with and without NSCLBP, respectively. In the balance ball condition, both groups showed a significant increase in erector spinae activity compared to the floor condition, and the increase in activity was significantly greater in the NSCLBP group than in the control group (p = 0.038). On the other hand, neither group showed significant changes in trunk muscle activities in the BOSU condition compared to those in the floor condition. The control group showed a significant increase in internal oblique/transversus abdominis activity under the balance ball condition (p = 0.020), whereas there were no significant changes in these muscle activities between the balance ball and floor conditions in the NSCLBP group. The present study showed that participants with NSCLBP significantly increased muscle activity of the erector spinae, one of the global back muscles, on the balance ball in spite of small effects on muscle activity of the internal oblique/transversus abdominis, which is one of the local abdominal muscles. Therefore, attention should be paid to the application of bridge exercises on the balance ball for individuals with NSCLBP.

Keywords: bridge exercise; electromyography; exercise therapy; low back pain; rehabilitation; unstable condition.

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Conflict of interest statement

Y.S. is an employee of INTAGE Healthcare Inc. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart for this study. We recruited 19 participants in the NSCLBP group and 18 in the control group; 2 were excluded because they did not match the inclusion criteria, 17 were assigned to the NSCLBP group, and 18 to the control group for analysis of trunk muscle activity.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bridge exercise (a) on the floor, (b) on the balance ball, and (c) on the BOSU balance trainer. The participants were barefoot, and their feet were supported only by their heels. They were instructed to keep their hips in a neutral position and avoid using arm strength during the exercise.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The trunk muscle activity normalized by floor bridge exercise under the balance ball condition in non-specific chronic low back pain and control groups. Significant differences between the balance ball and floor conditions are indicated by asterisks (*** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05).
Figure 4
Figure 4
The trunk muscle activity normalized by floor bridge exercise under the BOSU condition in non-specific chronic low back pain and control groups. No significant difference was found between the BOSU and floor conditions.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Relative ratio of external oblique muscle activity divided by internal oblique/transversus abdominal muscle activity.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Relative ratio of rectus abdominis muscle activity divided by internal oblique/transversus abdominis muscle activity.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Relative ratio of erector spinae muscle activity divided by lumbar multifidus muscle activity.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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