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Smooth and efficient body movements depend on the coordination
of multiple "trunk" muscles of the back and stomach. Some
of these muscles generate power, while others help your body
maintain balance and control. The multifidus in particular
appears to be a primary contributor to control and stabilization
in the lower back, acting as a "fine-tuning" muscle.
A
recent study in the European Spine Journal measured
activity in the back muscles of three groups of people: healthy
individuals, acute back-pain patients, and chronic back-pain
patients (pain for at least one year). Muscle activity was
measured during strength, coordination, or stabilization exercises
involving kneeling and lifting, in the multifidus muscle and
a group of power-generating muscles of the back during maximum
exertion.
 During coordination exercises, there was a significant decrease
in muscle activity of the control/stabilization muscles in
the chronic-pain group compared to the healthy group. Testing
revealed significantly lower activity in both stabilization
and power-generating muscles in the chronic-pain group during
strength exercises.
In the long run, low-back-pain patients may have problems
with balance and coordination in back movements, due to weakened
control muscles. A reduction in activity in the multifidus
and other "fine-tuning" muscles during coordination exercises
may be one reason behind the origin and recurrence of back
pain. If you have low back pain, talk to your doctor of chiropractic
about how to safely strengthen your back muscles. For more
information about back pain, go to https://www.chiroweb.com/tyh/backpain.html.
Reference:
Danneels LA, Coorevits PL, Cools AM, et al. Differences in
electromyographic activity in the multifidus muscle and the
iliocostalis lumborum between healthy subjects and patients
with sub- acute and chronic low back pain. European Spine
Journal 2002:11(1), pp. 13-19.
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