Lumbar Spine Loading During Dressage Riding.

The research investigates the impact of equestrian dressage riding on spinal load, particularly in lumbar and cervicothoracic sections, using global positioning system technology. It finds that the pace of the horse significantly affects spinal load, with faster movements resulting in greater loading.

Research Objective and Methodology

The primary goal of this study was to quantify uniaxial loading in two major areas of the spine, the lumbar (lower back) and cervicothoracic (neck and upper back) regions, during various dressage movements. The focus here is on understanding the effect of different horse riding movements on spinal load, with an aim of developing objective measurements for managing lumbar load for riders.

• The research involved 21 female dressage riders who performed a sequence of dressage elements comprising a walk, rising trot, sitting trot, and canter in a randomized order.
• The researchers equipped the riders with a global positioning system (GPS) technology embedded in garments at the C7 (near the base of the neck) and L5 (lower back) regions of the spine. This GPS technology collected data on triaxial accelerometry, measuring accelerations that occur in three directions – anteroposterior (front to back), mediolateral (side to side), and vertical.
• The key measurement was PlayerLoad, calculated as the rate of change of acceleration in each of the three directions during each trial.

Research Findings

The findings did not indicate any significant effect based on the GPS placement on either the AP, mediolateral, or vertical planes. Therefore, the location of the GPS did not significantly influence the measurements.

• However, the pace of the horse showed a significant effect in all trials. Faster horse movements (rising trot, canter, and sitting trot) resulted in greater uniaxial loading in all planes. The order of loading from least to most was found to be walk, rising trot, canter, and sitting trot.
• There was a noticeable interaction between GPS locations and the dressage elements in the AP plane. During walk, rising trot, and canter trials, greater loading was observed at L5 (lower back), whereas, during the sitting trot, higher load was seen at C7 (base of the neck).

Conclusions and Implications

The study concluded that the pace of the horse significantly impacts the uniaxial loading on the spine. Faster activities result in greater loading across all planes. The findings imply that in vivo measurement of spinal accelerometry through GPS technology could be useful for understanding and managing lumbar load in horse riders, which could be crucial for preventing or managing lower back pain prevalent in equestrian communities.