Effect Of Muscle Energy Techniques On Neuromuscular Function In Patients With Non-specific Low Back Pain

Purpose:Muscle Energy Technique（MET）is a manipulative technique that aims to improve musculoskeletal function and reduce pain by precisely targeting and controlling the patient’s target muscles to initiate isometric contraction and resistance stretching exercises.Non-Specific Low Back Pain（NLBP）has a complex etiology and there is a lack of research related to the clinical treatment of non-specific low back pain with muscle energy techniques.Therefore,this study was conducted to investigate the effects of muscle energy techniques on pain symptoms and neuromuscular function in patients with non-specific low back pain through a 4-week muscle energy technique intervention,in order to provide a reference for the selection of effective rehabilitation treatment plans for patients with non-specific low back pain in the future.Methods:Forty-five college students with non-specific low back pain were recruited and randomized to the muscle energy technique（MET）,core stability training（CST）,and control group（Control）,and they were given the intervention for 4 weeks.Visual Analogue Scale（VAS）,Oswestry Disability Index（ODI）,trunk muscle group isometric strength test,Y-balance test,trunk active position awareness test and flexion-relaxation test were performed before and after the experiment,and the treatment effects were compared between the three groups by a 3×2 mixed design ANOVA.Results:（1）The results of pain score index analysis showed that after 4 weeks of intervention,the VAS scores of patients with non-specific low back pain in all three groups decreased significantly compared with those before intervention（P<0.05）,and the VAS scores of MET and CST groups were smaller than those of the control group after intervention training（P<0.05）,and there was no difference between MET and CST groups（P>0.05）;the analysis of low back dysfunction index showed that after 4 weeks of intervention,the ODI scores of patients with non-specific low back pain in MET and CST groups decreased significantly compared with those before intervention（P<0.05）.The results showed that after the 4-week intervention,the ODI scores of non-specific low back pain patients in both MET and CST groups decreased significantly compared with those before the intervention（P<0.05）,and the ODI scores of MET and CST groups were smaller than those of the control group after the intervention（P<0.05）,while there was no difference between MET and CST groups（P>0.05）.（2）The results of isometric muscle strength index analysis of trunk core muscle groups showed that after four weeks of intervention,the isometric muscle strength in the direction of trunk forward flexion,dorsal extension,and left and right lateral tilt was significantly increased in both MET and CST groups compared with that before the intervention（P<0.05）,while there was no difference between MET and CST groups（P>0.05）;after four weeks of intervention,the isometric muscle strength of trunk left and right rotation was significantly increased in CST group compared with that before the intervention（P<0.05）,and the trunk rotation muscle strength of the CST group was greater than that of the MET and control group after the intervention（P<0.05）,while there was no difference between the MET and control group before and after the intervention（P>0.05）.（3）The results of Y-balance test index analysis showed that after 4 weeks of intervention,the total scores of both MET and CST groups were significantly higher（P<0.05）,and the total scores of the CST group were higher than those of the control group after the intervention（P<0.05）,but there was no difference between the MET and CST groups（P>0.05）.（4）The results of the analysis of active position perception indexes showed that there was no difference in the lateral and anterior trunk tilt test indexes among the three groups,both before and after the intervention（P>0.05）.（5）Flexion-relaxation test:（1）There was no difference in the trunk flexion standardized angle _EMG-OFFof the erector spinae and multifidus in the three groups before and after the intervention（P>0.05）;the trunk flexion standardized angle _EMG-ONof the erector spinae and multifidus in the three groups was smaller after the intervention than before the intervention（P<0.05）,but there was no difference between the groups（P>0.05）.（2）The ERR values of the multifidus muscle in the CST group were greater after the intervention than before the intervention（P<0.05）,but there was no difference between the MET and control group before and after the intervention（P>0.05）;the FRR values of the multifidus muscle in both the MET and CST groups were greater after the intervention than before the intervention（P<0.05）,and the FRR values of the multifidus muscle in the CST group were greater than those in the MET group after the intervention（P<0.05）;in addition,the FRR values of the erector spinae muscle in the CST In addition,the FRR values of the erector spinae muscle in the CST group were greater after the intervention than before the intervention（P<0.05）,while there was no difference between the MET group and the control group before and after the intervention（P>0.05）.Conclusion:Muscle energy techniques can reduce pain symptoms and low back dysfunction,enhance isometric strength and dynamic postural control of the core muscles,and improve neuromuscular function of the low back in patients with non-specific low back pain.