Author ORCID Identifier:
Date of Graduation
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Exercise Science (MS)
Degree Level
Graduate
Department
Health, Human Performance and Recreation
Advisor/Mentor
Gallagher, Kaitlin
Committee Member
Schmitt, Abigail
Second Committee Member
Jendro, Ashlyn
Keywords
Walking; Standing; Lumbopelvic Kinematics; Muscular Co-Contractions
Abstract
Background: Prolonged standing is a common daily activity in a wide array of occupations, and approximately 44% of sample populations develop low back pain (LBP) during prolonged standing. Prolonged standing-induced LBP developers (“Pain Developers”) are three times more likely to develop clinical LBP and can therefore be considered a pre-clinical LBP population. Changes in typical gait have been observed in LBP patients, and walking has been hypothesized as being protective or preventive against LBP development. However, it is unknown whether Pain Developers exhibit similar kinematic adaptations to chronic LBP patients during common daily activities, such as walking. The exact muscular mechanisms behind pain development also remain unclear. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in gait biomechanics before and after 90-minutes of prolonged standing in individuals with and without prolonged standing-induced low back pain. The aim was to assess if there are differences in (a) spatiotemporal characteristics, (b) lumbopelvic kinematics, and (c) lumbopelvic muscular co-contraction across initial walking and post-walking trials, and to assess if there is a difference between Pain Developers and Non-Pain Developers. Methods: Participants visited the lab for an initial familiarization session followed by one data collection. Demographics, activity level, and preferred walking speed were measured during the familiarization session. The data collection consisted of 90-minutes prolonged standing. Throughout the trial, participants reported pain levels using a 100mm Visual Analog Scale at 15-minute intervals. Electromyography recordings and three-dimensional motion capture recordings were also taken at 15-minute intervals. Results: Lumbopelvic median flexion-extension angles were significantly different between PDs (n= 9) and non-PDs (n= 11). Lumbopelvic flexion-extension range of motion and lateral-bend range of motion was significantly different pre and post prolonged standing. Lumbopelvic flexion-extension deviation phase angle was significantly different between PDs and non-PDs during Swing phase, while axial-twist deviation phase angle was significantly different during swing phase pre and post standing. Left external oblique and left erector spinae co-contraction index during swing phase was the only significant difference in muscular activity, with a main effect of time. Treadmill speed was not significantly different between pain groups but did exhibit a moderate effect size. Conclusion: While some kinematic and muscular variables differed between PDs and non-PDs, many variables were not significantly different, and the present results do not align with prior research. It could be that transient pain development does not manifest the same as chronic or recurrent low back pain, or that differences in methodology between this and other studies could be responsible for these differences. Further work is needed to isolate methodological and biomechanical contributions to the development of prolonged standing-induced low back pain observed here.
Citation
Cotariu, S. (2026). Lumbopelvic Kinematics and Muscular Co-Contractions in Walking Prior to and Immediately Following a Bout of Prolonged Standing.. Graduate Theses and Dissertations Retrieved from https://scholarworks.uark.edu/etd/6287
