Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38032998›Full record

ArticlePloS one2023

Effects of sling exercises on pain, function, and corticomuscular functional connectivity in individuals with chronic low back pain- preliminary study.

Bo-Jhen Chen, Tzu-Ying Liu, Hsin-Chi Wu, Mei-Wun Tsai, Shun-Hwa Wei, Li-Wei Chou

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 26% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Dual task function differences in chronic low back pain: a narrative review.The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Bo-Jhen ChenDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan (R.O.C.).ORCID 0000-0002-9199-2003
Tzu-Ying LiuDepartment of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
Hsin-Chi WuDepartment of Rehabilitation Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
Mei-Wun TsaiDepartment of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.).ORCID 0000-0002-7224-849X
Shun-Hwa WeiDepartment of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.).
Li-Wei ChouDepartment of Physical Therapy and Assistive Technology, National Yang Ming Chao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan (R.O.C.).ORCID 0000-0002-2368-448X
National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University · TWTaipei Tzu Chi Hospital · TWTzu Chi University · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIndividuals with chronic low back pain (CLBP) exhibit altered brain function and trunk muscle activation.

aimThis study examined the effects of sling exercises on pain, function, and corticomuscular coherence (CMC) in healthy adults and individuals with CLBP.

methodsEight individuals with CLBP and 15 healthy adults received sling exercise training for 6 weeks. Before and after training, participants performed two motor tasks: rapid arm lifts and repeated trunk flexion-extension tasks, and electromyography of the trunk muscles and electroencephalography of the sensorimotor cortex were recorded. Chi-squared test and Mann-Whitney U tests were used for between group comparison, and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used for pre- and post-training comparison. Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient (Rs) was used to identify for the relationship between motor performance and Corticomuscular coherence.

resultsSling exercises significantly improved pain (median from 3 to 1, p = .01) and Oswestry Disability Index scores (median from 2.5 to 2, p = .03) in the CLBP group. During rapid arm lifts, individuals with CLBP showed lower beta CMC of the transverse abdominis and internal oblique (Tra/IO) (0.8 vs. 0.49, p = .01) and lumbar erector spinae (0.70 vs. 0.38, p = .04) than the control group at baseline. During trunk flexion-extension, the CLBP group showed higher gamma CMC of the left Tra/IO than the control group at baseline (0.28 vs. 0.16 , p = .001). After training, all CMC became statistically non-significant between groups. The training induced improvement in anticipatory activation of the Tra/IO was positively correlated with the beta CMC (rs = 0.7851, p = .02).

conclusionA 6-week sling exercises diminished pain and disability in patients with CLBP and improved the anticipatory activation and CMC in some trunk muscles. These improvements were associated with training induced changes in corticomuscular connectivity in individuals with CLBP.

Indexed as

Chronic PainLow Back PainAdultElectromyographyExerciseExercise TherapyHumansParaspinal MusclesTorso

Identifiers

PMID38032998
PMCPMC10688743
OpenAlexW4389166831

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.