Etiology and Progression of Acute Muscle Tension Related Low Back Pain Occurringduring Sustained Activity including Combat Training Exercises

摘要

This project is determining relationships between back muscle tension, amount andtype of activity, and onset and intensity of back pain among people in their normal environments in order to develop and test preventive and ameliorative measures. Ambulatory recorders are used to record muscle tension, activity, and back pain for 20 hours at a time among civilians in their normal work environments and among soldiers either in garrison or participating in combat training exercises. The portion of this study funded by MRDC has been completed but the program is continuing with local support using the ambulatory recorders developed through this funding. Results of the MRDC funded portion of the study demonstrate that, for people with muscle tension related low back pain, changes in low back muscle tension are correlated (0.88) with changes in pain intensity. There is a relationship between participation in field exercises and onset of low back pain among both soldiers who normally do and do not experience back pain. Both pain and muscle tension are higher in garrison than in the field. Subjects with headaches and back pain who wore the recorder both before and after muscle