Content - Volume 17, Issue 1

During a three-year follow-up study of 31 chronic idiopathic low back pain patients significant spontaneous improvements of pain and disability scores were found, while range of motion of the lumbar spine decreased. It is argued that increasing stiffness of the low back may be the clinical manifestation of the process of stabilization, that takes place in previously painful instable motion segment ...

The aim of this study was to compare trunk muscle strength and intra-abdominal pressure during lifting in low-back patients and in healthy controls. Twenty male workers with 2-18 year history (median 5. 5 years) of low-back pain went through strength tests of trunk flexion and extension and a series of standardized lifts. The intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) and the EMG activity of the oblique abdom ...

Isometric training of the abdominal muscles is often recommended in programs of primary or secondary prevention for low-back pain. In this study 20 male workers with 2-18 years' history (average 5 1/2 years) of low-back pain without sciatica went through intense isometric abdominal muscle training for 5 weeks. Before and after training the subjects had trunk flexion and extension strength tests an ...

The intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) has been regarded as important for stabilization and relief of the lumbar spine when exposed to heavy loads, such as when lifting. Previous trials, however, have failed to increase the IAP by abdominal muscle training. Twenty healthy subjects, 20 low-back patients and 10 weight-lifters, were tested with various breathing techniques in order to elucidate the causa ...

A prospective study of 104 patients with throchanteric hip fractures was undertaken with particular regard to postoperative complications and rehabilitation at the follow-up 3 months later. The mortality was 20%, depended more on the social function prior to the fracture than on the patient's age. Osteosynthesis was performed with the Richards sliding screw-plate system. The most frequent clinical ...