COMPARISON OF SACROSPINALIS MYOELECTRIC ACTIVITY AND PAIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING STATIC AND INTERMITTENT LUMBAR TRACTION

The purposes of this study of low back pain patients were to determine : 1) if presence of sacrospinalis myoelectric activity is a consistent phenomenon in supine and prone positions; 2) if there is a difference between magnitudes of myoelectric activity for two types of lumbar tr action (static and intermittent); and 3) if there is a difference in p atient perceived pain level after traction between the two types of tr action. Results sown that surface electrode myoelectric activity is ab sent in resting supine and prone positions, there is no significant di fference in magnitude of myoelectric activity between the two differen t types of traction, and more than 50% of patients in both traction gr oups experience decreased pain after traction.