Electromyography for assessment of pain in low back muscles.
OBJECTIVE
Pain is currently evaluated with "subjective" methods (eg, patient self-report). This study aimed to test whether fatigue indexes are able to accurately discriminate between subjects with and subjects without low back pain.


METHODS
Sixty subjects separated into 2 groups--a group with low back pain (n=30) and a group without low back pain (n=30)--participated in this study.


METHODS
Electromyographic (EMG) and force data were obtained during a muscle fatigue test. The same test was repeated to monitor recovery. Linear regression analysis was used to obtain fatigue indexes.


RESULTS
Subjects with pain produced significantly lower force values than those without pain. The use of fatigue indexes and force values permitted accurate classification in 89.5% of cases.


CONCLUSIONS
The results confirm that subjects with pain show early myoelectrical manifestations of muscle fatigue and that EMG can be a useful tool in the evaluation of low back pain.
Candotti
Cláudia Tarragô
CT
Curso de Educação Física, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, São Leopoldo, Brazil.
Loss
Jefferson Fagundes
JF
Pressi
Ana Maria Steffens
AM
Castro
Flávio Antonio de Souza
FA
La Torre
Marcelo
M
Melo
Mônica de Oliveira
Mde O
Araújo
Lucas Dutra
LD
Pasini
Maicon
M
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010147:Pain Measurement