Scanning paraspinal surface EMG: A method for corroborating post-treatment spinal and related neuromusculoskeletal...

This study evaluated the relationship between post-treatment paraspinal surface EMG improvement in the static sitting and standing postures, with patient post-treatment subjective regional spinal pain and/or related neuromusculoskeletal symptoms, using hand held scanning electrodes. A retrospective review of consecutive files of patients who had presented with regional spinal pain and/or related neuromusculoskeletal symptoms was undertaken. The files considered for this study needed to meet a set of pre-established criteria in order to qualify for selection. Forty-two patients met the criteria for review. Forty-one patients reported post-treatment reduction in their symptoms. Of the 42 patients indicating improvement on post-treatment static scanning SEMG examination, 41 (97.6%) had indicated symptomatic improvement as well. The findings warrant further investigation to determine whether hand-held surface EMG scanners can be reliably utilized as a post-treatment objective instrument for determining symptomatic improvement in commonly seen physical conditions of the spine which are of spinal biomechanical/postural etiology.