Comparison of spinal column alignment and autonomic nervous activity using the intersegmental tenderness test in the segment above

Masaki Aino; Shinichiro Oka; Koutarou Haruguchi; Mayumi Aino; Shun Hashimura; Kazuo Kurosawa

doi:10.1589/jpts.33.570

Comparison of spinal column alignment and autonomic nervous activity using the intersegmental tenderness test in the segment above

J Phys Ther Sci. 2021 Aug;33(8):570-575. doi: 10.1589/jpts.33.570. Epub 2021 Aug 2.

Authors

Masaki Aino¹, Shinichiro Oka², Koutarou Haruguchi³, Mayumi Aino⁴, Shun Hashimura⁴, Kazuo Kurosawa⁵

Affiliations

¹ Japan Systemic Fascia Neuro-Pain Approach Association: 1-13-24 Kashii Ekimae, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka 813-0013, Japan.
² Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences at Fukuoka, International University of Health and Welfare, Japan.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Fukuoka Wajiro Hospital, Japan.
⁴ Department of Rehabilitation, Kitakyushu Koga Hospital, Japan.
⁵ Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences at Odawara, International University of Health and Welfare, Japan.

Abstract

[Purpose] The thoracolumbar supraspinous intersegmental tenderness test (ITT) in the segment above was performed to compare spinal alignment and autonomic activity in the presence or absence of pain. [Participants and Methods] Thirty young males were grouped into Th1-4 (Cardiopulmonary visceral nerves), Th5-9 (Large visceral nerve), and Th10-12 (Small visceral nerve) by ITT for the presence of pain. Measurements of the spinal alignment and autonomic function were performed. [Results] Those with ITT pain had a significantly lower range of motion in the sagittal plane at Th12, Th12-L1, and L2-3 and in the frontal plane at Th1-2, Th4-5, Th6-7, and L3-4 than those in the no pain group. On autonomic function tests, the pain group had significantly lower Total Power, LF (Low Frequency), and CVRR (Coefficient of variation of R-R interval). [Conclusion] In ITT, patients with pain at Th5-9 have a mixture of reduced sagittal tilt angle and autonomic hypofunction of the adjacent upper and lower thoracic to lumbar vertebrae.

Keywords: Autonomic; Somatic dysfunction; Spinal alignment.