Trunk Muscle Function in Low Back Pain Assessment
Summary
Trunk muscles, comprising flexors, extensors and deep stabilisers, play a pivotal role in maintaining spinal alignment, transmitting loads and enabling functional movements. In individuals with low back pain (LBP), these muscles often exhibit reduced strength, impaired endurance and altered activation patterns, which can perpetuate pain and disability. Assessment of trunk muscle function integrates measurements of isometric and isokinetic strength, dynamic endurance tests and neuromuscular control evaluations. Common clinical tools include hand-held and fixed dynamometers, functional endurance tests such as the Biering-Sørensen and plank protocols, and surface electromyography to capture recruitment timing.
Altered proprioception and coordination deficits frequently accompany LBP, leading to compensatory strategies that increase spinal loading and fatigue. Early identification of these deficits allows clinicians to tailor rehabilitation programmes that address individual impairments, restore balanced flexor–extensor ratios and enhance segmental stability. Incorporating velocity-specific strength training, motor control exercises and real-time feedback has shown promise in improving outcomes and preventing recurrence. Given the global burden of LBP, standardised, reliable assessment methods underpin evidence-based practice and facilitate comparisons across populations and interventions.
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Trunk Muscle Function in Low Back Pain Assessment publication trend
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Technical terms
Isometric contraction: Muscle activation against a fixed resistance without joint movement.
Isokinetic dynamometry: Quantitative measurement of muscle strength at a constant limb movement speed.
Proprioception: Sensory feedback mechanism that conveys joint position and movement to the central nervous system.
Electromyography: Technique for recording electrical activity produced by skeletal muscles during contraction.
Trunk stabilisation: Coordinated engagement of deep and superficial core muscles to control spinal alignment and motion.
References
- Abdominal trunk muscle weakness and its association with chronic low back pain and risk of falling in older women. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2019).
- Practicable performance-based outcome measures of trunk muscle strength and their measurement properties: A systematic review and narrative synthesis. PLOS ONE (2022).
- Assessment of isokinetic trunk muscle strength and its association with health-related quality of life in patients with degenerative spinal deformity. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders (2020).
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