Immediate Effects of Isolated Lumbar Extension Resistance Exercise (ILEX) on Spine Posture and Mobility Measured with...

Posture and mobility are important aspects for spinal health. In the context of low back pain, strategies to alter postural anomalies (e.g., hyper/hypolordosis, hyper/hypokyphosis) and mobility deficits (e.g., bending restrictions) have been of interest to researchers and clinicians. Machine-based isolated lumbar extension resistance exercise (ILEX) has been used successfully for rehabilitation of patients suffering from low back pain. The aim of this study was to analyse the immediate effects of ILEX on spinal posture and mobility. In this interventional cohort study, the posture and mobility measures of 33 healthy individuals (m = 17, f = 16; mean age 30.0 years) were taken using the surface-based Spinal Mouse system (IDIAG M360©, Fehraltdorf, Switzerland). Individuals performed one exercise set to full exhaustion with an ILEX-device (Powerspine, Wuerzburg, Germany) in a standardized setup, including uniform range of motion and time under tension. Scans were made immediately before and after the exercise. There was an immediate significant decrease in standing lumbar lordosis and thoracic kyphosis. No change could be observed in standing pelvic tilt. Mobility measures showed a significant decrease in the lumbar spine and an increase in the sacrum. The results show that ILEX alters spine posture and mobility in the short-term, which may benefit certain patient groups.