Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders

Abstract Low back pain disorders affect more than 80% of adults in their lifetime and are the leading cause of global disability. The muscles attaching to the spine (ie, paraspinal muscles) are critical for proper spine health and play a crucial role in the functioning of the spine and whole body; h...

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Main Authors: Alex M. Noonan, Stephen H. M. Brown
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-09-01
Series:JOR Spine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.1171
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author Alex M. Noonan
Stephen H. M. Brown
author_facet Alex M. Noonan
Stephen H. M. Brown
author_sort Alex M. Noonan
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Low back pain disorders affect more than 80% of adults in their lifetime and are the leading cause of global disability. The muscles attaching to the spine (ie, paraspinal muscles) are critical for proper spine health and play a crucial role in the functioning of the spine and whole body; however, reports of muscle dysfunction and insufficiency in chronic LBP (CLBP) patients are common. This article presents a review of the current understanding of the relationship between paraspinal muscle pathophysiology and spine‐related disorders. Human literature demonstrates a clear association between altered muscle structure/function, most notably fatty infiltration and fibrosis, and low back pain disorders; other associations, including muscle cell atrophy and fiber type changes, are less clear. Animal literature then provides some mechanistic insight into the complex relationships, including initiating factors and time courses, between the spine and spine muscles under pathological conditions. It is apparent that spine pathology can directly lead to changes in the paraspinal muscle structure, function, and biology. It also appears that changes to the muscle structure and function can directly lead to changes in the spine (eg, deformity); however, this relationship is less well studied. Future work must focus on providing insight into possible mechanisms that regulate spine and paraspinal muscle health, as well as probing how muscle degeneration/dysfunction might be an initiating factor in the progression of spine pathology.
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spelling doaj.art-16ae91656b5b4244a74b8f99ab177a762022-12-21T18:57:43ZengWileyJOR Spine2572-11432021-09-0143n/an/a10.1002/jsp2.1171Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disordersAlex M. Noonan0Stephen H. M. Brown1Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences University of Guelph Guelph Ontario CanadaDepartment of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences University of Guelph Guelph Ontario CanadaAbstract Low back pain disorders affect more than 80% of adults in their lifetime and are the leading cause of global disability. The muscles attaching to the spine (ie, paraspinal muscles) are critical for proper spine health and play a crucial role in the functioning of the spine and whole body; however, reports of muscle dysfunction and insufficiency in chronic LBP (CLBP) patients are common. This article presents a review of the current understanding of the relationship between paraspinal muscle pathophysiology and spine‐related disorders. Human literature demonstrates a clear association between altered muscle structure/function, most notably fatty infiltration and fibrosis, and low back pain disorders; other associations, including muscle cell atrophy and fiber type changes, are less clear. Animal literature then provides some mechanistic insight into the complex relationships, including initiating factors and time courses, between the spine and spine muscles under pathological conditions. It is apparent that spine pathology can directly lead to changes in the paraspinal muscle structure, function, and biology. It also appears that changes to the muscle structure and function can directly lead to changes in the spine (eg, deformity); however, this relationship is less well studied. Future work must focus on providing insight into possible mechanisms that regulate spine and paraspinal muscle health, as well as probing how muscle degeneration/dysfunction might be an initiating factor in the progression of spine pathology.https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.1171multifiduserector spinaedegenerationstructure/functionfatty infiltrationfibrosis
spellingShingle Alex M. Noonan
Stephen H. M. Brown
Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
JOR Spine
multifidus
erector spinae
degeneration
structure/function
fatty infiltration
fibrosis
title Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
title_full Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
title_fullStr Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
title_full_unstemmed Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
title_short Paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
title_sort paraspinal muscle pathophysiology associated with low back pain and spine degenerative disorders
topic multifidus
erector spinae
degeneration
structure/function
fatty infiltration
fibrosis
url https://doi.org/10.1002/jsp2.1171
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