European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Everyday activities such as walking may elicit spinal shrinkage in an order of magnitude that has been related to lower back pain. The present study aims to compare the effects of unloaded treadmill walking with walking carrying loads representing everyday shopping tasks. ⋯ Results suggest that the body adopts less anterior lean with an immediate load-bearing demand, to decrease the necessary extension moment generated by the spinal extensors for spinal stability. Further postural alteration in the same direction is observed with prolonged loading. In combination with lumbar spinal shrinkage, such postural changes are likely to increase the loading on the facet joints and subsequently unload the discs which may be beneficial for those with low back pain.
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To investigate the effect of an anti-TNF-α agent (etanercept) on recovery processes in a partial spinal cord injury (SCI) model using clinical and electrophysiological tests. ⋯ These results show that blocking TNF-α mediated inflammation pathway by an anti-TNF-α agent enhances clinical and electrophysiological recovery processes in partial SCI model.