Ultrasound Assessment of Abdominal Muscle Thickness in Women With and Without Low Back Pain During Pregnancy

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this preliminary study was to determine the differences in abdominal musculature thickness, within 1 month of delivery, in women who experienced back pain during pregnancy compared with those who did not. METHODS: B-mode ultrasound imaging was used to measure abdominal muscle thickness on 76 postpartum participants who participated in a larger study; 47 women experienced back pain during pregnancy, and 29 did not. Participant data were stratified by group, and primary comparisons were based on these grouping across the abdominal muscles, including rectus abdominis (upper and lower fibers), external oblique, internal oblique, and transversus abdominis. Means and standard deviations were also used to set parameters for future studies. RESULTS: In the present study, there was no difference in any abdominal muscle thickness between groups. Women with low back pain were significantly shorter (165.19 ± 6.64 cm) than women who did not have from back pain during pregnancy (169.38 ± 7.58 cm). All other demographics, such as age, weight, and date tested postpartum, were not significantly different between groups. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed no variation in abdominal muscle thickness in women who had back pain during pregnancy and those who did not.