Kaja Kastelic1, Matej Voglar2, Nejc Šarabon3. 1. University of Primorska, Andrej Marušič Institute, Department of Health Study, Koper, Slovenia; S2P, Science to Practice, Ltd., Laboratory for Motor Control and Motor Behavior, Ljubljana, Slovenia. 2. University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia. 3. University of Primorska, Andrej Marušič Institute, Department of Health Study, Koper, Slovenia; University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, Izola, Slovenia; S2P, Science to Practice, Ltd., Laboratory for Motor Control and Motor Behavior, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: nejc.sarabon@fvz.upr.si.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Prolonged sitting is often proposed as a risk factor for low back pain development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of full time office work on sensorimotor trunk functions. METHODS: Seventeen healthy office workers participated in the study. Maximal lumbar flexion range of motion, anticipatory postural adjustments and postural reflex reactions were tested before and after full time office work in a real life environment. RESULTS: There were longer onset latencies of postural reflexive reactions and decreased response amplitudes of anticipatory postural adjustments after full time office work, but these were significant only for the obliquus externus abdominis muscle. No changes in lumbar range of motion was found. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the first study that evaluates the effect of full time office work on postural actions and lumbar RoM. We found an absence of normal human circadian flexibility in the lumbar spine and some changes in postural actions. We propose that active trunk stiffness increase to compensate for decreased passive stiffness after prolonged seated work. Further studies are needed to confirm this assumption.
INTRODUCTION: Prolonged sitting is often proposed as a risk factor for low back pain development. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effect of full time office work on sensorimotor trunk functions. METHODS: Seventeen healthy office workers participated in the study. Maximal lumbar flexion range of motion, anticipatory postural adjustments and postural reflex reactions were tested before and after full time office work in a real life environment. RESULTS: There were longer onset latencies of postural reflexive reactions and decreased response amplitudes of anticipatory postural adjustments after full time office work, but these were significant only for the obliquus externus abdominis muscle. No changes in lumbar range of motion was found. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge this is the first study that evaluates the effect of full time office work on postural actions and lumbar RoM. We found an absence of normal human circadian flexibility in the lumbar spine and some changes in postural actions. We propose that active trunk stiffness increase to compensate for decreased passive stiffness after prolonged seated work. Further studies are needed to confirm this assumption.
Authors: Juan Rabal-Pelay; Cristina Cimarras-Otal; Noel Marcen-Cinca; Andrés Alcázar-Crevillén; Carmen Laguna-Miranda; Ana Vanessa Bataller-Cervero Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-03-13 Impact factor: 3.390