Reliability of neck extensor muscles electrical activity during the test on flexor-extension chair equipment

• Grant number: 13/24724-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2014
• End date: August 31, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Thaís Cristina Chaves
• Grantee: Marina Foresti dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Surface eletromyography (EMG) is a non-invasive tool for measuring muscle electrical activity, being proved valid to evaluate cervical musculature. Normalization of EMG signal is recommended, being maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) the most common form found on the scientific literature. The few studies on literature that evaluate EMG on cervical muscles presented inconsistencies about their methods and does not evaluated their reproducibility. The aim of this study is evaluate the reproducibility of electromyographicevaluation of cervical spine erector muscle during test on flexor-extension chair equipment and establish a standard method for the MIVC test during extension of cervical erector spine muscle. Fifteen healthy subjects which not present complaint of cervical pain in the last 3 months and fifteen subjects whom presented cervical pain in the last 3 months with will participate in this study. The electromyography data collection of cervical erector spine muscles will be held with the subject sitting on flexor-extension chair equipment for the CIVM test on cervical extension during a 7 seconds contraction. The test will be repeated three times with a 30 seconds interval between contractions and the mean value will be considerate. The test will be repeated after 7days to check the measurement reproducibility. Results demonstrating the reproducibility of normalization CIVM performed in flexion-extension chair are expected.