FUNCTIONAL ASYMMETRY OF THE SPINE IN STANDING AND SITTING POSITIONS

BACKGROUND: A sedentary lifestyle, together with functional asymmetry of the body, are potentially dysfunctional factors. OBJECTIVE: In this project, the authors are trying to identify the connections between a sedentary lifestyle and the amount of functional asymmetry of the spine. METHODS: Sixteen male volunteers aged 19 - 25 participated in the experiment. All of them were students of the University of Physical Education in Katowice. To measure trunk movement, the BTS Smart system was used. The quantity of functional asymmetry was described as a Functional Asymmetry Ratio (FAR), calculated using the trunk range of motion on the frontal and horizontal planes. RESULTS: Larger FARs values were registered in a sitting position (p < 0.01). Frontal plane functional asymmetry was greater than the asymmetry on the horizontal plane (p < 0.05) and the asymmetry of the lumbar spine exceeded that recorded for the thoracic section (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The association between a sedentary lifestyle and the functional asymmetry of the body is possible. Together with the increased use of sitting positions in daily life, the asymmetric load exerted on the spine may increase as well.