The investigation of the relationship between the lumbar disc hernia and clinical findings with spinal stabilization muscles in patients with chronic low back pain due to lumbar disc hernia

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of spinal stabilization muscles on the occurrence of lumbar disc herniation and chronic low back pain(CLBP). Patients with CLBP and a disc herniation were included in group-1(n=34), and patients with CLBP but without a herniated disc were group-2(n=32) were included in the study. Group-3(n=32) was formed from healthy volunteers who had never had low back pain in their lives. Lumbar MRI examination was performed on all patients. From the MRI results of the patients mm. multifidi, m. erector spinae, m. psoas, m. quadratus lumborum cross-sectional area measurement was made using the Image-J program. Fat tissue areas formed within muscle areas were also measured. Mm. multifidi and m. transversus abdominis, muscle activity measurements were made with a superficial electromyography device (Biometrics E-link). As a result of the study, it was determined that the mm. multifidi area was smaller in group-1. It was observed that the m. erector spinae area decreased significantly in group-1 compared to group-2 and group-3, and at the same time, the fat/muscle area ratio increased significantly. In the m. quadratus lumborum, it was observed that the muscle area decreased significantly in group-1 and the fat/muscle area ratio increased compared to group-3. M. erector spinae and m. psoas fat infiltration-muscle area ratios were associated with a decrease in muscle activity. In the future, studies can be conducted to observe positive changes in the fat/muscle tissue ratios in the stabilizer muscles with different exercise programs in patients with lumbar disc herniation.