Analysis of muscle activity during active pelvic tilting in sagittal plane.

BACKGROUND: Pelvic tilting is performed to improve lumbopelvic flexibility or retrain the motor control of local muscles. However, few studies investigated the activity of local muscles during pelvic tilting.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activity during anterior and posterior pelvic tilting.

METHOD: Twelve healthy males (age, 22.6 ± 1.4 years) participated. Fine-wire electrodes were inserted into the bilateral lumbar multifidus (MF) and transversus abdominis (TrA). Surface electrodes were used to record activity of the bilateral rectus abdominis, external oblique, and erector spinae (ES), and the unilateral right latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, semitendinosus, and rectus femoris muscles. The electromyographic activities during anterior and posterior pelvic tilting in a standing position were recorded and expressed as a percentage of the maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) for each muscle.

RESULTS: The activities of the bilateral MF (right: 23.9 ± 15.9 %MVC, left: 23.9 ± 15.1 %MVC) and right ES (19.0 ± 13.3 %MVC) were significantly greater than those of the other muscles during anterior pelvic tilting. The activity of the left TrA (14.8 ± 16.4 %MVC) was significantly greater than that of the other muscles during posterior pelvic tilting.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that the MF and ES are related to anterior pelvic tilting. The activity of the TrA, which was classified as a local muscle, was greater during posterior pelvic tilting. This study indicated that local muscles such as the MF and TrA may be related to pelvic tilting.