eS230 WCPT Congress 2015 / Physiotherapy 2015; Volume 101, Supplement 1 eS26–eS426 Research Report Poster Presentation Number: RR-PO-11-05-Mon Monday 4 May 2015 12:15 Exhibit halls 401–403 EFFECT OF SIX-WEEK SPECIFIC STABILIZATION EXERCISE WITH ULTRASOUND BIOFEEDBACK FOR PATIENTS WITH RECURRENT LBP Y.-H. Chen 1 , Y.-C. Huang 1 , Y.-C. Tsai 1 , H.-Y. Chen 1 , C.-C. Chang 1 , S.-S. Liu 1 , S.-F. Wang 2 1 National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hsin-Chu City, Taiwan; 2 National Taiwan University Hospital, Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Taipei, Taiwan Background: Chronic Low Back Pain (LBP) is a common musculoskeletal problem with high prevalence and recur- rence. Specific stabilization exercises with feedback, which aim to restore the function of deep trunk muscles such as transversus abdominis (TrA), have been suggested to mod- ify motor control deficits but the quantitative effects of such exercises is lacking. Purpose: 1. To examine the performance of the TrA after 6-week ultrasonography (US) biofeedback guided specific sta- bilization exercises, for patients with recurrent chronic LBP; 2. To examine the effects on TrA contraction, pain and dis- ability. Methods: Subjects with recurrent chronic LBP were included in the study. Real-time ultrasound images were viewed in B-mode with 5–12 MHz linear-array transducer (Teroson t3000). Specific stabilization exercise with US biofeedback to confirm the TrA contraction was conducted by physical therapists once a week for six weeks. The archi- tecture of the anterior and posterior sites of the TrA was measured during the abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM), prone ipsilateral hip extension (IE) and prone contralateral hip extension (CE). Outcome measurements included pain (current and most pain, VAS), disability (Oswestry disability index, self-efficient score), resting thickness (Thr), contracted thickness (Thc), change of thickness (T) and sliding of the muscle-fascial junctions of the TrA (X). Paired-t test was used to assess the effect of exercise training. Results: Eleven participants (male: 8, age: 40.5 ± 9.4) with recurrent chronic LBP were enrolled in the study. The current pain and self-efficient score were improved (P < 0.05) after 6-week exercise training. T and X of the TrA were all improved after training (P < 0.05). Thc only increased in the abdominal draw-in maneuver and prone ipsilateral hip extension (P < 0.05). Thr was unaltered. Conclusion(s): 6-week specific stabilization exercises with ultrasound biofeedback improve pain, disability and muscle contraction pattern of the TrA in subjects with recurrent chronic LBP. Using this training protocol may helps patients with LBP to contract their core muscle more specifically and accurately, consequently, pain and function improved. Implications: Specific stabilization exercise with US feedback benefited patients with recurrent LBP in both pain and function. US image provided the visual feedback and quantitative measurement to enhance the accurate contraction of deep core muscles. Keywords: Specific stabilization exercise; Ultrasonogra- phy; Low back pain Funding acknowledgements: NHRI-EX100-10042EI. NHRI-EX101-10043EI. HCH-102-67. Ethics approval: NTUH200903075R. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2015.03.403 Research Report Poster Presentation Number: RR-PO-13-20-Sat Saturday 2 May 2015 13:00 Exhibit halls 401–403 EFFECTS OF DEEP ABDOMINAL SETTING ON REACH PERFORMANCE AND BALANCE IN THE ELDERLY Y.-T. Chen 1 , R.-M. Lin 2 , Y.-T. Liao 1 , P.-Y. Lee 1 , S.-I. Lin 1 , Y.-J. Tsai 1 1 National Cheng Kung University, Physical Therapy, Tainan, Taiwan; 2 National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Orthopedics, Tainan, Taiwan Background: Forward reaching (FR) in standing, an inte- gral part of many daily activities, is important for older adults to live independently. FR is accepted as a reliable tool to assess the balance ability. Deep abdominal muscles includ- ing transverses abdominis and internal oblique are important contributors to spinal stability, and thus may affect the ability to move the body forward toward the edge of base of support. Yet, how deep abdominal setting would affect balance control during reaching is still unclear. Purpose: To investigate the immediate effects of an instruction of deep abdominal setting on reach distance and balance control during reaching. Methods: Eleven healthy elders whose mean age, height, and weight were 66 years old, 161.6 cm, and 62 kg respec- tively participated in this preliminary study. FR task was performed barefoot on a force platform (Kistler 9286BA) under two conditions with random order: normal and setting. Under normal condition subjects were instructed to reach