Development of a new low back pain prevention and improvement program for the elderly focusing on the pelvic floor muscles

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K19298
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 58080:Gerontological nursing and community health nursing-related
• Research Institution: Hokuriku University (2021-2022); Kyoto Tachibana University (2020)
• Principal Investigator: Miyachi Ryo 北陸大学, 医療保健学部, 講師 (50847001)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 腰痛 / 腰部運動 / 骨盤底筋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The relationship between the location of pelvic floor muscles by MRI and changes in hip and lower back motion angles due to pelvic floor muscle contraction was examined in healthy female participants. The results revealed that the change in motion angle caused by pelvic floor muscle contraction during lumbar movement tasks was related to pelvic floor muscle location, and that each pelvic floor muscle functional index was an independent evaluation index.
In addition, the effects of dynamic and static lumbar motor control training on lumbar proprioception were examined in patients with nonspecific low back pain. The results revealed that compared to static lumbar motor control training, dynamic lumbar motor control training had an improvement effect on low back pain and subjective proprioception, but not on objective proprioception.

Free Research Field

運動器理学療法学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

MRIによる骨盤底筋位置は骨盤底筋収縮による腰部・股関節運動と関連していることから，骨盤底筋位置の改善に対する介入を行う上での根拠の一つとなる可能性がある．また，腰痛者の腰痛および主観的な固有感覚に対して動的腰部運動制御トレーニングの有効性が示されたことから，腰痛者に対する治療選択として，静的なトレーニングではなく動的なトレーニングの有用性を示す根拠となるものである．
これらの研究成果は，腰痛を持つ高齢者に対する評価を選択するための判断材料となり，腰痛解決に貢献するものである．