In clinical setting we often prescribe core muscle strengthening for chronic low back pain or low back pain patients, because of the researches evolved there is a weakness of core muscles in this population, i just want to know is there is any standardized grading system is there to measure core muscle strength.
I don't know whether it can be used in clinical setting too, but I have a grading system for athletic population which is not standardized in literature. our team is working on it. my suggestion for you is use McGill trunk flexor and extensor endurance tests as these tests have been validated in literature. another suggestion is side plank test.
Hi Balamanigandan
Along with McGill's trunk flexor and extensor endurance tests you could also look at the "Bunkie Test" a novel test of core muscular endurance. I am not aware of any psychometric published results of the "Bunkie Test" with impaired individuals.
I hope it helps you!
Article The Bunkie Test: Descriptive Data for a Novel Test of Core M...
Dear Kulandaivelan,
Thanks for your reply ill study the article and ill get back to you.
Dear friends, are you looking for endurance or strength core test? I think that both the Bunkie test and McGuill test are core endurance test, not core strength test.
Kind regards
Dear Carmen Manchado,
Yes both of the tests are measuring the core muscles endurance only? is there is any scales or grading system is there to measure the strength.
I am also looking for a scale or grading system wich could be use without expensive tools (i.e. EMG or isokinetik machine).
Any endurance or strength test that is appropriated for older adults 70+ ?
Correct, EMG does not measure strength only electrical activity of the muscle measured
Physical Therapists use Shirley Sahrmanns Core Stability test which is graded. Are you looking at specific core muscles? You could potentially use a manual muscle grading scheme, if that is the case.
Allison
The Sorenson test is standardized with normative values for trunk extension endurance (Demoulin, C, 2006). For those with access to a Biodex unit, there is a back attachment that quantifies isometric and is kinetic strength of trunk flexion and extension (Grabiner MD, 1990). Finally Timed Loaded Standing is a standardized measure of combined trunk and arm endurance suitable for people with vertebral osteoporosis. (Shipp, KM, 2000).
The difficulty is addressing this issue is because the idea of what constitutes “core” is not well defined. This is why answers correctly are asking about endurance vs strength , EMG etc..
If “Core” is defined as the total lumbopelvic support musculature then isolated strength may be neither relevant nor appropriate. Isometric or isokinematic Biodex back extensor or abd testing - perhaps does not really address this so called “core” set of musculature . The idea of bracing capability as described by McGuill comes close, but it is not the maximum capacity to generate brace force (definition of strength) that is important, but the capacity for appropriate modulation of bracing during various activities.
In my humble opinion, the idea of capacity to maintain a neutral spine or time to return to a neutral spine following perturbation is the essence of “core – stability”
An example of an simple isometric test might be to use a pressure device placed under the lumbar curve and with the person starting supine legs flexed – lower straight legs from vertical and see to what angle they can lower their legs and still maintain a constant lumbar pressure ( maintaining neutral spine without increasing lordosis) There are other positions and activities this could be done in. Unfortunately more dynamic perturbation testing requires kinematic and EMG data acquisition – which is not what Balamanigandan Jaganathan was asking .
Hi Allison Kosir,Kevin James McQuade,Wendy Katzman,
Thanks you all, now i got potential information i have to go through all this tests if i need any further clarification ill will be back with another set of questions.
We routinely use Gray Cook's Functional Movement Screening (FMS), since core stability is basis for other whole-body movements and tasks. It is indirect indicator of core function. Easy to use, too.
Cheers
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