A sit-to-stand (STS) task is critical to many activities of daily living and is estimated to be performed an average of 60 times per day. This multi-planar, multi-joint movement requires over 60% of a person’s total sagittal plane ROM in the lumbar spine and has been used to indicate functional impairment for patients with low back pain.
It’s thought that manual therapy (MT) may influence movement patterns due to the mechanical and neuromuscular changes that occur after spinal manipulation and joint mobilization. This study sought to determine the effect that MT could have on improving the objective measures of time to completion and ROM engaged when people with LBP performed a sit-to-stand movement.
Their findings indicate significant improvements in both time to completion and ROM after receiving manual therapy. By influencing sensorimotor integration and enhancing overall motion MT is a fantastic treatment strategy to help improve the functional ability of people with low back pain.
“The sit-to-stand task is a particularly relevant movement for determining functional impairment in patients with LBP.”
“Our findings demonstrated that participants with LBP utilized a greater lumbar ROM in the sagittal plane while performing the STS task and the time to complete the movement deceased after MT intervention that combined mobilizations and spinal manipulation directed to the lumbar spine and pelvis.”
“…the current investigation provides preliminary evidence to demonstrate that the biomechanical and functional performance of an STS task by populations with LBP may acutely be altered following a MT“
We believe patients have better outcomes when their
health professionals work together.
