Martin Descarreaux

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Verified

Martin verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• DC, PhD
• Professor (Full) at University of Quebec at Trois-Rivieres

Background/aim In baseball pitching, neuromuscular fatigue and its manifestations on muscle strength, muscle soreness and pain perception affect pitching performance. The purpose of this study was to quantify the evolution of grip strength, muscle soreness and pain threshold perception and pitching velocity in baseball pitchers throughout a simulat...

During pregnancy, increased hormonal levels contribute to ligament laxity of the pelvis and could predispose to lumbopelvic pain. The main objective of this study was to assess changes in pregnancy-related hormones, neuromechanical adaptations and clinical pain status throughout pregnancy. An exploratory objective was to examine the possible associ...

Demographic aging and extended working lives have prompted interest in the physiological changes that occur with age, particularly in the lumbar spine. Age-related declines in muscle quality and intervertebral disc alterations may reduce muscular endurance, strength, and postural stability, potentially increasing the risk of musculoskeletal injurie...

Background Fibromyalgia and chronic primary low back pain are two chronic pain conditions with a significant biopsychosocial burden. Recently, the International Association for the Study of Pain has grouped them under the term chronic primary pain. To further explore similarities and differences between these two conditions, the objective of this s...

Background In baseball, batting performance can be measured using game and advanced statistics as well as hitting metrics. To date, the core set of individual characteristics or skills associated to superior batting performance remains to be identified. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and classify the individual characteristics or sk...

Background Health equity is defined as the absence of unjust and avoidable disparities in access to healthcare, quality of care, or health outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a conceptual framework that outlines the main causes of health inequalities and how these contribute to health inequities within a population. Despite...

Background: Health equity is defined as the absence of unjust and avoidable disparities in access to healthcare, quality of care, or health outcomes. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a conceptual framework that outlines the main causes of health inequalities and how these contribute to health inequities within a population. Despite...

With expertise, athletes develop motor strategies that enhance sports performance or reduce functional costs. Motor variability is known as a relevant way to characterize these strategies in athletes with different levels of expertise. The aim of this scoping review is to gather and discuss the latest advances in the impact of expertise on motor va...

Background: Most Western countries are currently facing numerous challenges linked to demographic aging. In Quebec, there is a noticeable increase in the workforce population aged over 55, accounting for nearly 20% of full-time employees in 2017. The presence of older workers may require adaptations in tasks to accommodate their physical capacities...

Background: Lately, the performance of athletes, both novice and expert, has garnered significant attention by researchers, especially to explore the boundaries of human performance and the risk of musculoskeletal injury. Sporting expertise leads to the development of motor strategies within an athlete's motor system, which either enhance performan...

Tremblay, M, Anderson Sirois, S, Verville, W, Auger, M, Abboud, J, and Descarreaux, M. Acute upper-body and lower-body neuromuscular fatigue effect on baseball pitchers' velocity: A pilot study. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2024-The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the acute effect of upper-body and lower-body neuromuscular fatigue...

Background In patients with fibromyalgia, exercise and education are recommended to decrease pain level and improve pain management. The latest scientific evidence recommends to focus interventions on the upper limb. The aim of this pilot study was to compare the immediate effect of physical activity education vs. a control group on pain and muscle...

Manual therapy (MT) is commonly used in rehabilitation to deal with motor impairments in Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, is MT an efficient method to improve gait in PD? To answer the question, a systematic review of clinical controlled trials was conducted. Estimates of effect sizes (reported as standard mean difference (SMD)) with their respec...

Background Low back pain (LBP) accounts for a significant proportion of primary care visits. Despite the development of evidence-based guidelines, studies point to the inefficient use of healthcare resources, resulting in over 60.0% of patients with LBP being referred to spine surgeons without any surgical indication. Centralized waiting lists (CWL...

Objectives The objectives were (1) to describe and compare headache-related clinical features between teleworkers with migraine and those with tension-type headache (TTH) and (2) to determine the association between coping strategies and headache frequency, and intensity in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This cross-sectional online...

Background Spinal mobilization (SMob) is often included in the conservative management of spinal pain conditions as a recommended and effective treatment. While some studies quantify the biomechanical (kinetic) parameters of SMob, interpretation of findings is difficult due to poor reporting of methodological details. The aim of this study was to s...

This study aims to identify how spatial distribution of lumbar muscle activity is modulated by different fatigue tasks. Twenty healthy adults performed two different isometric trunk extension endurance tasks (the modified Sorensen test and the inverted modified Sorensen test) until exhaustion. During these tasks, bilateral superficial lumbar muscle...

Background Spinal manipulation (SM) is a recommended and effective treatment for musculoskeletal disorders. Biomechanical (kinetic) parameters (e.g. preload/peak force, rate of force application and thrust duration) can be measured during SM, quantifying the intervention. Understanding these force-time characteristics is the first step towards iden...

Background In patients with fibromyalgia, exercise and education are recommended to decrease pain level and improve pain management. The latest scientific evidence recommends to focus interventions on the upper limb. The aim of this study was to compare the immediate effect of physical activity education with control group on pain and muscle capaci...

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate how feedback and self-assessment strategies affect performance and retention of manual skills in a group of chiropractic students. Methods Seventy-five students participated in two spinal manipulation (SM) learning sessions using a force-sensing table. They were recruited between May and Nove...

Background Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) clinical effects are believed to be linked to its force–time profile characteristics. Previous studies have revealed that the force measured at the patient-table interface is most commonly greater than the one applied at the clinician-patient interface. The factors explaining this force amplification rem...

Background Spinal mobilization (SMob) is often included in the conservative management of spinal pain conditions as a recommended and effective treatment. While some studies quantify the biomechanical (kinetic) parameters of SMob, interpretation of findings is difficult due to poor reporting of methodological details. The aim of this study was to s...

Low back pain ranks as the leading cause of years lived with disability worldwide. Although best practice guidelines share a consistent diagnostic approach for the evaluation of patients with low back pain, confusion remains as to what extent patient history and physical examination findings can inform management strategies. The aim of this study w...

Introduction: This study investigated the effects of an acute mindfulness-based intervention on exercise tolerance, maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), pain and effort-related experiences in individuals with primary chronic low back pain. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. Before and after the...

Background Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) clinical effects are believed to be linked with its force-time profile characteristics. Previous studies have revealed that the force measured at the patient-table interface is most commonly higher than the force applied at the clinician-table interface. The factors explaining this force amplification re...

Background: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) causing neurogenic claudication (NC) is a leading cause of disability which is intimately related to a decrease in walking capacity. Walking limitation has negative physical and mental impacts on patients. Recent guidelines recommend the use of conservative treatment options such as exercises before conside...

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate in cadaveric specimens the reliability of measuring cervical intradiscal pressure (CIDP) and if posterior-anterior (PA) mobilizations targeting the cervical spine were associated with CIDP changes. Methods: Cervical PA mobilizations were performed on the spinous processes of 7 (3 men, 4 wo...

Introduction: Exercise is the most recommended treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP) and is effective in reducing pain, but the mechanisms underlying its effects remain poorly understood. Exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH) may play a role and is thought to be driven by central pain modulation mechanisms. However, EIH appears to be disrupted i...

Background: Mastectomy is the first-line treatment approach for more than 90% of breast cancer patients. The numerous physical impairments associated with this surgical procedure negatively impact the patient’s quality of life. To date, rehabilitation resources available for breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy within the institutions affil...

Objectives To improve our understanding of patients’ perspectives regarding: (1) the decision making and prehabilitation before lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) surgery; and (2) their postoperative experiences. Design Qualitative research with semi-structured interviews Setting General community Participants Individuals received (n=10) and did not r...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the immediate effect of spinal manipulation (SMa) and spinal mobilization (SMo) on muscular responses, spinal stiffness, and segmental spinal pressure evoked pain in a population of participants with chronic middle back pain (MBP). Methods: In a crossover randomized trial, 2 experienced chiropr...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Superficial muscles of the low back are made up of multiple motor plates due to their segmental innervation. In a recent study, we observed a clear distinction in the motor unit territories between the high (L1 to L3) and low (L3 to L4) region of the longissimus muscle. The neuromechanical principle proposes that motor units are...

Editorial on the Research Topic The Contribution of Postural Adjustments to Body Balance and Motor Performance: Volume II This second volume of the Research Topic provides an up-to-date picture on how humans control balance and body motion during daily motor tasks, with a special focus on the relationship between postural adjustments, body balance...

Study Design Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. Objective To identify preoperative physical variables associated with favorable postoperative outcome in individuals undergoing laminectomy or laminotomy for degenerative central lumbar spinal stenosis. Summary of Background Data Clinical or condition specific variables have most c...

This study was designed to identify neuromuscular adaptations of low back pain (LBP) cyclists , and the impact of a cycling effort on spinal shrinkage. Forty-eight trained cyclists rode their road bike on a smart trainer for 1-hour. Surface electromyography (EMG) recorded muscle activity of the lumbar erector spinae (LES), 3D motion analysis system...

Background: About 50% of women experience lumbopelvic pain (LBPP) during their pregnancy. LBPP has negative repercussions on sleep, social and sexual life, physical and work capacity, and psychological health and contributes to physical inactivity. The benefits of LBPP prevention or treatment in pregnant women through specific exercises should the...

Objective assessments of players performance and individual characteristics are increasingly used in baseball. However, evidence linking individual characteristics to players' performance are scarce. The purpose of the study was to identify across ages, in younger males and females, and to compare, in younger males, the anthropometrics, athletic ab...

Background: Previous studies observed that the intervertebral disc experiences the greatest forces during spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and that the distribution of forces among spinal tissues changes as a function of the SMT parameters. However, contextualized SMT forces, relative to the ones applied to and experienced by the whole functional...

Context Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) exhibit impaired lower limb biomechanics during unilateral drop jump landing on a flat surface. However, lower limb biomechanical adaptations during unilateral drop jump landing on more challenging surfaces such as unstable or inclined are yet to be described. Objective Determine how unilate...

Introduction: The management of musculoskeletal disorders is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Manual therapies, such as spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), are often recommended as an adjunct treatment and appear to have demonstrable effects on pain and short-term disability in several spinal conditions. However, no definitive mech...

Objectives The objectives of this scoping review were (1) to document and quantify the potential associations between lumbopelvic pain characteristics and pregnancy-related hormones, and (2) to identify research approaches and assessment tools used to investigate lumbopelvic pain characteristics and pregnancy-related hormones. Methods The literatu...

Abstract Background Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and peripheral arterial disease (PAD) are two distinct conditions characterized by similar symptoms including leg pain and walking limitations due to claudication. Differentiation between both origins can be difficult and characteristics such as symptom manifestations, time to relief in rest position...

Up to 86% of pregnant women will have lumbopelvic pain during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and women with lumbopelvic pain experience lower health-related quality of life during pregnancy than women without lumbopelvic pain. Several risk factors for pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain have been identified and include history of low back pain, prev...

Introduction Using a network analysis, the present study investigated the extent to which physical activity (PA), objective fitness level, kinesiophobia, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) interact in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The objectives were twofold: 1) to clarify the direct and indirect relationships betwee...

Research Objectives To investigate in cadaveric specimens if cervical PA mobilizations produce changes in CIDP. Causes for age-related degeneration include lack of IVD nutrition and prolonged intradiscal pressure. While studies have shown changes in cervical intradiscal pressure (CIDP) with cervical range of motion (ROM), traction and manipulation,...

Background: Spinal manipulations (SMT) and mobilizations (MOB) are interventions commonly performed by many health care providers to manage musculoskeletal conditions. The clinical effects of these interventions are believed to be, at least in part, associated with their force-time characteristics. Numerous devices have been developed to measure th...

Spine pain is a highly prevalent condition affecting over 11% of the world's population. It is the single leading cause of activity limitation and ranks fourth in years lost to disability globally, representing a significant personal, social, and economic burden. For the vast majority of patients with back and neck pain, a specific pathology cannot...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the current state of scientific knowledge regarding physical and psychological factors associated with walking capacity in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with neurogenic claudication. Design: Systematic scoping review. Literature Search: We searched CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing...

PurposeThe lumbar region offers various muscle recruitment strategies to achieve a task goal under varying conditions. For instance, trunk movement control can be reorganized under the influence of low back pain. How such task-modulation is obtained is not fully understood. The objective of this study was to characterize superficial lumbar muscle r...

Background The current sanitary crisis brought on by the COVID-19 recently forced a large proportion of workers to adopt telecommuting with limited time to plan transition. Given that several work-related risk factors are associated with headache and neck pain, it seems important to determine those associated with headache and neck pain in telecomm...

Lumbar spinal stenosis is the most common reason for spine surgery in older adults, but the effects of prehabilitation on perioperative outcomes among these patients have not been investigated. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a preoperative exercise-based intervention program compared with usual care on the improvement of clinical...

Background: Individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) exhibit many biomechanical changes to lower limbs during walking. However, only a few studies have investigated the differences in lower limb biomechanics of individuals with CAI compared to healthy controls using a comprehensive approach including kinematic, kinetic and electromyography...

Together, neck pain and back pain are the first cause of disability worldwide, accounting for more than 10% of the total years lived with disability. In this context, chiropractic care provides a safe and effective option for the management of a large proportion of these patients. Chiropractic is a healthcare profession mainly focused on the spine...

Background/purpose The biomechanical effects of foot orthoses (FOs) with and without a lateral bar compared to a control condition during walking at different speeds are still unknown. The objective of this study was to compare the biomechanical effects of functional FOs with and without a lateral bar to a control condition during comfortable walki...

Objective This study aimed to investigate how load expectations modulate neuromuscular and postural strategies in the anticipation of a freestyle lifting task with varying expected loads in individuals with and without chronic low back pain (cLBP). Methods Forty-seven participants, 28 with cLBP pain and 19 without, were recruited and completed a s...

Background Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) and mobilization (MOB) effects are believed to be related to their force characteristics. Most previous studies have either measured the force at the patient-table interface or at the clinician-patient interface. The objectives of this study were to determine 1) the difference between the force measured...

Objective The objective of this scoping review is to investigate the possible links between the practice of video games and physical health. It seeks to answer the following question: What are the physical health consequences of playing video games in healthy video game player? and How is it currently investigated?. Methods A scoping review was co...

Background/Purpose The effects of footwear on the walking kinematics, kinetics and electromyography (EMG) of individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI) at different speeds are still unknown. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the kinematic, kinetic and electromyography differences between shod and barefoot walking at...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between objective spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) biomechanical parameters and subjective assessments provided by patients, clinicians, and expert assessors. Methods: Chiropractic students (N = 137) and expert instructors (N = 14) were recruited. Students were asked to perfor...

Objective The aim of this scoping review is to outline the current evidence regarding the management of restless legs syndrome (RLS) with nonpharmacologic approaches. To categorize the efficacy of conservative approaches in reducing symptoms of RLS, we have identified and summarized the current data regarding diagnostic criteria and relevant outco...

Objective Lumbopelvic pain (LBPP) affects 45% to 81% of pregnant women, and 25% to 43% of these women report persistent LBPP beyond 3 months after giving birth. The objective of this study was to investigate the association of physical activity, weight status, anxiety, and evolution of LBPP symptoms in postpartum women. Methods This was a prospect...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine if headache profile can predict future disability in patients with TTH. Methods: Eighty-three patients with TTH were recruited. To be included in the study participants needed to fulfill the International Headache Society classification's criteria for episodic or chronic TTH form and to be at le...

This rapid review considers materials the WFC is aware have been cited in support of claims of effectiveness for spinal adjustment / manipulation in conferring or enhancing immunity.

Background Ball velocity, accuracy and game statistics represent three methods used to measure pitching performance. However, individual determinants of pitching performance are more elusive. Objectives The aims of this study were to classify the performance factors associated with baseball pitchers, to identify the methods used to quantify their...

The objective of this study was to quantify the kinematic, kinetic and electromyography differences between individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) during comfortable (CW) and fast (FW) walking. Twenty-one individuals with CAI and 21 healthy controls were recruited to walk at CW and FW speeds. The dependent variables were glute...

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of lumbar muscle delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) on the ability of the trunk muscles to reproduce different levels of force. Methods Twenty healthy adults (10 males and 10 females) were recruited for this study. Force reproduction in trunk extension and flexion was assessed at 50 and 7...

Key points •Longissimus activity in the lumbar region was measured using indwelling electromyography to characterize the territory of its motor units. •The distribution of motor units in the longissimus pars lumborum muscle was mainly grouped into two distinct regions. •Regional activation of the longissimus pars lumborum was also observed during f...

Objectives: To assess the neuromechanical (kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic (EMG)) differences between individuals with and without chronic ankle instability (CAI) during unilateral jump landing. Design: Case-control study. Methods: Kinematic, kinetic and EMG data of 32 participants with CAI and 31 control participants were collected d...

Prehabilitation is defined as the process of augmenting functional capacity before surgery in preparation for the postoperative phase. This study intends to assess the feasibility of conducting a preoperative intervention program in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and to report on the piloting of the proposed intervention. Patients were alloca...

Objectives: To evaluate the kinematic, kinetic and electromyographic (EMG) immediate effects of foot orthoses (FOs) during walking, maximal single-leg side jump landing (SIDE) and unilateral drop landing on even (DROP), inclined and unstable (FOAM) surfaces in individuals with chronic ankle instability (CAI). Design: Cohort study. Setting: Bio...

Purpose The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an exercise protocol designed to induce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in paraspinal muscles and its effects on low back functional capacities. Methods Twenty-four healthy participants were asked to perform four series of 25 trunk flexion–extension in a prone position (45° in...

Introduction The burden of musculoskeletal disorders increases every year, with low back and neck pain being the most frequently reported conditions for seeking manual therapy treatment. In recent years, manual therapy research has begun exploring the dose-response relationship between spinal manipulation treatment characteristics and both clinical...

Aim To further the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying tension-type headache (TTH) by comparing the endurance and strength of neck extensor muscles under acute muscle fatigue in participants with TTH and asymptomatic participants. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of neck extensor muscle performance. Asympto...

Objective: To determine the effects of a physical exercise program on spinal manipulation (SM) performance in 1st-year chiropractic students. Methods: One hundred and thirteen students from 2 chiropractic schools were assigned to 1 of 2 groups: exercise group (EG) for campus A students or control group (CG) (no training) for campus B students. All...

Objective The purpose of this study was to determine if a reduction of short-term physiological and clinical effects of muscle fatigue can be seen after a session of massage in nonspecific chronic low back pain (cLBP) individuals and to study the possible association between physiological and clinical changes induced by massage. Methods Thirty-six...

Abstract Background Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) includes biomechanical parameters that vary between clinicians, but for which the influence on the therapy clinical effects is unknown. This parallel-randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effect of SMT biomechanical parameters on the outcomes of participants with chronic thoracic...

letter to the editor; no abstract

Objective The objective was to compare thoracic spinal stiffness between healthy participants and participants with chronic thoracic pain and to explore the associations between spinal stiffness, pain and muscle activity. The reliability of spinal stiffness was also evaluated. Material and methods Spinal stiffness was assessed from T5 to T8 using...

Data necessary to replicate the analyses. (XLS)

Objective:: The purpose of this study was to investigate gender differences and expertise effects on biomechanical parameters as well as force accuracy and variability for students learning spinal manipulation. Methods:: A total of 137 fourth- and fifth-year students were recruited for the study. Biomechanical parameters (preload, time to peak f...