The Effect of Manual Therapy and Therapeutic Exercises on Pain and Functional Status in Persons With Low Back Pain

Lithuanian Sports University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Low Back Pain

Treatments: Other: Exercise therapy; Other: Manual therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05784168

LithuanianSportsU12

Details and patient eligibility

About

Non-specific chronic low back pain (LBP) can be managed with a variety of treatments such as educational programmes, behavioural therapy, acupuncture, medication, electrophysical agents, manual therapy and exercise therapy. Although the above therapies are widely used, they show limited effect at best, with frequent recurrences of LBP. There is insufficient data to prove that one type of exercise is superior to another. Manual therapy is a common therapeutic method used in the treatment of LBP. Therefore, we hypothesised that manual therapy combined with therapeutic exercises would lead to a greater reduction in back pain and improvement in functional status. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of 6 weeks of manual therapy combined with therapeutic exercise on pain and functional status in subjects with chronic non-specific low back pain.

Full description

The individuals with chronic non-specific low back pain participated in the study. Subjects were randomly divided into two groups: physiotherapy and manual therapy. All the participants received 12 intervention sessions. In addition, all subjects exercised at home 5 days a week. Subjects' back static strength endurance was assessed by the ITO test, abdominal muscle static strength endurance was assessed by the Kraus-Webber test, fear of movement by the TAMPA kinesiophobia test, torso mobility by the Schober test, pain by the numerical analogy scale. Functional status was assessed by Oswestry and Roland-Morris questionnaires.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Non-specific low back pain (>8 weeks);
• Persons of working age;
• Must be able to perform therapeutic exercises.

Exclusion criteria

• Severe cardiovascular disease;
• Oncological disorders;
• Neurological symptoms of disorders;
• Osteoarthritis;
• Spondylolisthesis and spondylosis;
• Radiculopathy;
• Myelopathy;
• Spinal fracture.
• Pregnancy or lactation.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Manual therapy

Experimental group

Description:

6 weeks, 12 sessions in total, 2 times a week of manual therapy: spinal manipulation, specific mobilisations and stretches. Manual therapy treatments are carried out by a physiotherapist with more than 10 years of experience. In addition, 6 weeks, 5 times a week, a programme of therapeutic exercises at home: muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

Treatment:

Other: Manual therapy

Exercise therapy

Experimental group

Description:

6 weeks, 12 sessions in total, 2 times a week therapeutic exercise programme under the supervision of a physiotherapist. The exercise programme consisted of muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises. In addition, 6 weeks, 5 times a week, a programme of therapeutic exercises at home: muscle strengthening and stretching, balance and coordination training, spinal stabilisation exercises.

Treatment:

Other: Exercise therapy