The Comparison of Various Positions on Lumbar Multifidus Activation

Background/Objectives: Core stability means muscular control on the back regions. Lumbar multifidus is important for stabilization in back region. To demonstrate how multifidus activation would be changed in the various positions. Methods/Statistical Analysis: Thirty healthy males were recruited for the study. The researchers educated the participants how to make the right positions, which consists of the prone, the side lying, and the sitting position. The researchers measured the subjects' lumbar multifidus two times randomly using the ultrasonography. The transducer that is rectangular and has flat surface used 7-10MHz with a 50mm penetration depth. The raw data was analyzed using one-way repeated measures ANOVA to compare the positions. Findings: In the prone position, the lumbar multifidus' thickness was 22.7cm, whereas in the sidelying and sitting position, the lumbar multifidus thickness was 19.4cm and 20.0cm. It means that the Lumbar multifidus more activated in the prone position than other positions. Among those positions, if lumbar multifidus exercise is needed for patients who do not have any kind of lumbar pain, the prone position would be the best position for lumbar multifidus exercise to the patients. There were only few studies about comparing multifidus activation in various positions, but even in previous studies, no studies examined that how the lumbar multifidus worked in those three positions. Thus, the study proved that in which positions the lumbar multifidus activates more. Application/Improvements: Many patients need to core muscles exercise for their low back pain. In that case, doing lumbar multifidus exercise in the prone position would be the best position.