The effect of dynamic sitting on trunk muscle activation: a systematic review
While sitting, people with low back pain (LBP) hold their posture more static, in end-range and use large infrequent shifts rather than small subtle spinal movement. Dynamic sitting has been proposed with the intention to vary trunk muscle activation and thereby altering the loading of spinal structures.
The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effect of dynamic sitting on trunk muscle activation comparing with more static sitting condition. Seven studies were included. Five of them showed no differences in trunk muscle activation between static and dynamic sitting. In the other 2 studies, dynamic sitting was associated with disadvantages such as increased low back discomfort, greater spinal shrinkage and greater fatigue.
The review concluded that dynamic sitting approaches are suggested to be ineffective in modifying trunk muscle activation and that increased trunk muscle activation is not necessarily associated with better clinical outcomes. The limitation of the included studies was the absence of participants with LBP. > From: O’Sullivan et al., Appl Ergon 44(4) (2013) 628-35. All rights reserved to Elsevier B.V.
(Image by: 123rf.com)