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Electromyography for Assessment of Pain in Low Back Muscles

2008; Oxford University Press; Volume: 88; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2522/ptj.20070146

1538-6724

Cláudia Tarragô Candotti, Jefferson Fagundes Loss, Ana Maria Steffens Pressi, Flávio Antônio de Souza Castro, Marcelo La Torre, Mônica de Oliveira Melo, Lucas Dutra Araújo, Maicon Pasini,

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders

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.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.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.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.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.