Changes in spinal stiffness with chronic thoracic pain: Correlation with pain and muscle activity.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

The objective was to compare thoracic spinal stiffness between healthy participants and participants with chronic thoracic pain and to explore the associations between spinal stiffness, pain and muscle activity. The reliability of spinal stiffness was also evaluated.

Material and methods

Spinal stiffness was assessed from T5 to T8 using a mechanical device in 25 healthy participants and 50 participants with chronic thoracic pain (symptoms had to be reported within the evaluated region of the back). The spinal levels for which spinal stiffness was measured were standardized (i.e. T5 to T8 for all participants) to minimize between-individual variations due to the evaluation of different spinal levels. The device load and displacement data were used to calculate the g

SUBMITTER: Page I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6289409 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature