PURPOSE To investigate the co-contraction of ankle muscles in older subjects with and without a history of falls during a stepping down activity, and whether the co-contraction was disrupted by a concurrent cognitive task. METHOD Ten fallers and 9 non-fallers (mean age = 72.0 +/- 5.0 and 72.1 +/- 7.3 years, respectively) were recruited. Electromyography (EMG) of the tibialis anterior (TA) and...

[Purpose] Muscle co-contraction is important in stabilizing the spine. The aim of this study was to compare cervical muscle co-contraction in adults with and without chronic neck pain during voluntary movements. [Subjects and Methods] Surface electromyography of three paired cervical muscles was measured in fifteen young healthy subjects and fifteen patients with chronic neck pain. The subjects...

Background & Aims: The purpose of this study was to determine the immediate effect of patella support brace on co-contraction and electromyographic activity of selected lower limb muscles in females with patellofemoral pain syndrome during stance phase of gait. Methods: EMG activity of vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, gastrocnemius, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, gluteus medi...

Weight gain and stretched abdominal muscles from an enlarged gravid uterus are remarkable features during pregnancy. These changes elicit postural instability and place strain on body segments, contributing to lower back pain. In general, the agonist and antagonist muscles act simultaneously to increase joint stabilization; however, this can cause additional muscle stress during movement. Furth...

Simultaneous voluntary contractions of antagonistic pairs (co-contraction) produce resistive forces that act against each other (Maeo et al., 2013c). It has been reported that a training program in which subjects performed voluntary co-contractions of elbow flexors and extensors with maximal effort produced significant increases in the strength capability of both muscle groups, without the use ...

An H reflex conditioning technique was used to monitor the transmission of heteronymous recurrent inhibition from soleus to quadriceps motor neurones of the human lower limb. Inhibition declined during quadriceps muscle contraction under all conditions examined, falling to zero at around one-third of the maximum voluntary contraction. Inhibition declined during soleus muscle contraction in sitt...