Article

OBJECTIVE: To examine the correlation between hamstring flexibility and hip and
lumbar spine joint excursions during standardized reaching and forward-bending
tasks. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data obtained during 2 previous
prospective studies that examined kinematics and kinetics during forward-reaching
tasks in participants with and without low back pain (LBP).
SETTING: The 2 previous studies were conducted in the Motor Control Lab at Ohio University and
the Orthopaedic Ergonomics Laboratory at The Ohio State University. PARTICIPANTS:
Data from a total of 122 subjects from 2 previous studies: study 1: 86 subjects
recovered from an episode of acute LBP (recovered) and study 2 (A.I. McCallum,
unpublished data): 18 chronic LBP subjects and 18 healthy-matched controls
(healthy). INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Correlation
values between hamstring flexibility as measured by straight leg raise (SLR) and
amount of hip and lumbar spine joint excursions used during standardized reaching
and forward-bending tasks. RESULTS: No significant correlation was found between
hamstring flexibility and hip and lumbar joint excursions during forward-bending
tasks in the LBP or recovered groups. The SLR had a significant negative
correlation with lumbar spine excursions during reaching tasks to a low target in
the healthy group (right SLR: P=.011, left SLR: P=.004). CONCLUSIONS: Hamstring
flexibility is not strongly related to the amount of lumbar flexion used to
perform forward-reaching tasks in participants who have chronic LBP or who have
recovered from LBP. More research needs to be conducted to examine the influence
of hamstring flexibility on observed movement patterns to further evaluate the
efficacy of flexibility training in the rehabilitation of patients with LBP.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS