The Effect of Trunk Forward Tilt Holding Time on the Body in Patients with Nonspecific Low Back Pain

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K18203
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Pain science; Rehabilitation science/Welfare engineering
• Research Institution: Niigata University of Rehabilitation
• Principal Investigator: Kitamura Takuya 新潟リハビリテーション大学(大学院), 医療学部, 講師 (60769727)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 脊柱変形 / 腰部多裂筋 / 慢性腰痛 / 病態 / 血流循環動態 / 運動療法

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The first is the clarification of the blood flow and circulation dynamics of skeletal muscles near the spinal column in persons with low back pain. Blood flow in skeletal muscles near the spinal column in the lumbar and cervical regions was shown to decrease with forward bending and increase with recumbency. The results suggest that the blood flow to the lumbar back muscles may be decreased in patients with low back pain due to bending over due to aging or other factors.
Second, we were able to prove the usefulness of the exercise therapy program based on the above results. When an exercise program mainly for improving blood flow was implemented in patients with lumbar back pain, more than 70% of the 53 patients showed a reduction in back pain despite deformity at the level of surgical indication, indicating the usefulness of the exercise program for improving blood flow.

Free Research Field

慢性腰痛　脊柱変形　運動療法

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまで，腰痛の原因究明は多方面から行われてきたが，腰曲がりの腰痛者に生じている腰痛の原因究明はほとんどされてこなかった．90年代後半に脊柱管狭窄症の一症状である間欠性破行に腰背部筋の血流循環が関与するとの報告がされた程度であった．腰曲がりの腰痛患者に対する運動療法を実施する中で，改めて腰背部筋の筋血流の改善が症状軽減に影響するのではないかとの印象を経験し，それを明らかにしたのが本研究となる．
全ての腰曲がり患者に対して腰痛軽減を確認することはできなかったが，対象とした7割に腰痛だけでなく痺れ症状も軽減することができ，腰痛治療の発展に大きく寄与できる結果が得られたと考えている．