Effect of tight clothes on cervical and thoracic spine muscles during shoulder abduction.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was investigated the effect of tight clothes on cervical and thoracic spine muscles activities during shoulder abduction.
[Subjects and Methods] The subjects of this study were 10 healthy males. The subjects performed two shoulder abduction trials for each of two jacket-wearing conditions. The right upper, middle, and lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscles activities were measured using a surface electromyography system during right shoulder abduction.
[Results] The upper and middle trapezius muscle activities during shoulder abduction were significantly increased under the tight-jacket conditions compared with the general-jacket conditions. The lower trapezius and serratus anterior muscle activities were significantly decreased under the tight-jacket conditions compared with the general-jacket conditions.
[Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that normal scapular movements did not occur sufficiently when wearing a tight jacket.

INTRODUCTION

In modern society, the practice of wearing tight-fitting clothing to show off stylish and fashionable clothes has spread widely1). However, a number of studies have reported that when excessive pressure is exerted constantly on specific parts of the human body, it can lead to many health problems in the cardiovascular system and internal organs1, 2). Experts have expressed a negative view on the effect of tight-fitting clothing on health2, 3). Furthermore, it has been suggested that wearing a waist belt frequently for a long time, can cause back pain and that this pain is due to imbalance between forces of muscles around the abdomen and waist muscles; the authors also suggested that this should be studied in the future3). In recent years, Park and Yoo have studied a variety of effects of tight-fitting clothing on the musculoskeletal system and suggested the need for studies of the effects on spinal deformity and surrounding muscles around the spine3). Thus, the present study analyzed the risk factors of tight-fitting clothing for tissues around the spine and the musculoskeletal system.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

The subjects of this study were 10 healthy males aged 22–24 years whose average height and weight were 174.4 ± 2.9 cm and 65.9 ± 4.1 kg, respectively. Subjects with conditions that might affect trunk mobility, such as injury or neurologic deficits of the upper extremities during the previous year, were excluded. The subject received an explanation about the purpose and methods of the study prior to participation and provided informed consent according to the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. The right upper, middle, lower trapezius and serattus anterior (UT, MT, LT, SA) muscles activities were measured using a surface electromyography system during right shoulder abduction for each of two jacket-wearing conditions, which were randomized. The jackets were made from the same material: a rugged cotton twill textile. We used the general jacket and tight jacket models of D company. There were two jacket-wearing conditions in this study: (1) wearing a general jacket tightened to 110–120% of the subject’s chest, shoulder, and upper arm circumferences, and (2) wearing a tight jacket tightened to 100–105% of the subjects’ chest, shoulder, and upper arm circumferences. The paired t-test was conducted to test for differences in muscles activities between conditions. Significance was accepted for values of p<0.05, and SPSS version 12.0 was used for the statistical analyses.

RESULTS

The UT and MT muscle activities during shoulder abduction under the tight-jacket conditions (31.3 ± 10.2% and 25.4 ± 8.1%) significantly increased compared with under the general-jacket conditions (23.1 ± 12.2% and 19.7 ± 9.8%) (p<0.05). The LT and SA muscle activities during shoulder abduction under the tight-jacket conditions (12.8 ± 9.0% and 25.0 ± 11.7%) significantly decreased compared with under the general-jacket conditions (20.9 ± 10.9% and 29.8 ± 14.7%) (p<0.05).

DISCUSSION

The results of the present study showed that the SA and LT muscle activities were significantly decreased during shoulder abduction under the tight-jacket conditions. The SA and LT are responsible for upward scapular rotation during shoulder abduction4). Despite conduct of normal shoulder abduction motion externally during the experiment process, the decreased level of activity of the muscles showed that normal scapular movements did not occur sufficiently due to the tight jacket. This change is thought to interfere with the scapulohumoral rhythm5). The present study also showed that the UT and MT muscle activities were significantly decreased during shoulder abduction under the tight-jacket conditions. Excessive UT activity has been known to cause shoulder elevation5). The MT is responsible for scapular adduction4). Thus, the increased activities of these two muscles can be interpreted as scapular abduction and elevation to compensate for upward scapular rotation when wearing tight-fitting clothes during shoulder abduction. These abnormal movements cause imbalance in muscles around the shoulders during shoulder abduction, thereby decreasing scapular stability and causing shoulder pain due to an increase in muscle tone5). The limitation of movements in upper extremities caused by wearing tight-fitting suits can be thought to have significant effects on muscle patterns around the spine in the areas of the cervical and thoracic spine4, 5).