Low Back Pain, Thoracic
Conditions
Keywords
Baseball batting, Motion analysis, Regional interdependence,, Hip, Joint mobility, Muscle stiffness
Brief summary
Low back pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal symptom in athletes. More than 40% percent of high school baseball players reported incidents of LBP during the previous year. University baseball athletes were 3.23 times more likely to have lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration than the nonathletic university students. According to the regional interdependence model, a patient's chief complaints may be directly or indirectly related to or influenced by physical impairments from various body systems and regardless of proximity to the primary symptom(s). Athletes with a chief complaint of LBP frequently demonstrate with mobility restrictions in the thoracic spine and hips, which may contribute to compensatory hypermobility in the lumbar spine and subsequently lead to LBP. Few studies have examined the relationship between thoracic spine mobility and LBP, while many studies investigating the relationship between hip joint mobility and LBP in athletes showed inconsistent results. The inconsistent results may be due to different types of sports and measurement methods. Therefore, the objectives of this research project are to: (1) examine if baseball players with a history of LBP have mobility restriction in the thoracic spine and hips and movement coordination within the spine and hip regions during baseball batting that are different from those without a history of LBP; (2) identify thoracic spine and hip joint mobility and coordination related predictors for batting velocity and LBP in baseball players. This 2-year research project plans to recruitment a total of 110 male baseball players aged between 18 and 30 years from university and community recreational league baseball teams (55 players with a history of LBP and 55 age-matched players without a history of LBP). Participants will receive physical examination for the thoracic spine and hip joints (joint mobility and muscle stiffness) and 3D motion analysis for baseball batting. The results of this research project will guide the development of more specific and effective treatment and preventative training for baseball players with LBP and enhance their batting performance.
Interventions
OTHERNo intervention
Comare the difference in batting mechanics, hip and thoracic spine mobility, and muscle stiffness in baseball players with and without a history of low back pain
Sponsors
National Cheng-Kung University Hospital
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
CROSS_SECTIONAL
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
• Baseball players who had experienced at least 2 episodes of LBP that limits their performance for a period of greater than 3 days in the previous year.
Exclusion criteria
* Current LBP symptoms including weakness and numbness in the lower extremities * Previous surgery to the back, upper or lower extremities * Marked spinal deformity (e.g., scoliosis, or kyphosis) * Any other orthopedic or medical problem that would have limited their ability to fully participate in baseball training and competition in the last year.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Angular displacement of spine during baseball batting | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane |
| Angular displacement of hip during baseball batting | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane |
| Angular velocity of spine during baseball batting | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane |
| Angular velocity of hip during baseball batting | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in the horizontal plane |
| Thoracic spine mobility | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the Vicon motion analysis system in sitting |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Modified Thomas test | immediately after enrollment | Measured as hip flexion angle (with knee flexed) in degree |
| Stiffness of thoracic erector spinae muscle | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m |
| Hip joint mobility | immediately after enrollment | Ranges of hip internal and external rotation measured by inclinometer in sitting |
| Straight leg raising test | immediately after enrollment | Measured as hip flexion angle (with knee extended) in degree |
| Ober test | immediately after enrollment | Measured as hip adduction angle in degree |
| FABER's test | immediately after enrollment | Measured as distance between knee and bed in cm |
| Stiffness of biceps femoris muscle | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m |
| Stiffness of rectus femoris muscle | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m |
| Stiffness of tensor fasciae latae muscle | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m |
| Stiffness of glutues maximus muscle | immediately after enrollment | Measured by the hand-held MyotonPRO device in N/m |
Countries
Taiwan
Outcome results
None listed