Международный журнал физической медицины и реабилитации
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Comparative Effectiveness of Lumbar Stabilisation Exercises and Vertical Oscillatory Pressure in the Management of Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain

Oluwasegun Taofik Afolabi, Michael Ogbona Egwu, Chidozie Mbada and Aanuoluwapo Deborah Afolabi

Background: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) can lead to a diminished ability to engage in a variety of activities such as work. Some of the treatments of CLBP are manual therapy techniques such as Vertical Oscillatory Pressure (VOP) and therapeutic exercises such as Lumbar Stabilization Exercises (LSE).

Objective: This study assessed and compared the effectiveness of LSE, VOP and VOP combined with LSE on pain intensity, disability level, health related quality of life, anxiety level and spinal range of motion in patients with CLBP.

Methods: This quasi-experimental study involved 63 patients with CLBP. Participants were recruited purposively from Out-patient Physiotherapy Clinics of two Hospitals in Nigeria. Participants who gave their consents were randomly assigned into one of three treatment groups. Treatment effects were assessed in terms of pain intensity, anxiety level, disability index, health related quality of life and spinal ROM using Visual Analogue Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Oswestry Disability Index, Short Form-12 questionnaire and F-F method at baseline, third week and sixth week of treatment. Participants underwent treatment twice weekly for six weeks. Measurements of outcomes were done at baseline, third week and sixth week of treatment. Descriptive statistic of mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics of One-way and Repeated measure ANOVA were used to analyse data. Alpha level was set at p˂0.05 of significance.

Results: The results showed VOP had significant effects on disability level and pain intensity while LSE had significant effects on anxiety, pain intensity and health related Quality of Life. Combination of VOP and LSE significantly affected disability level, anxiety level, pain intensity, health related quality of life and spinal ROM.

Conclusion: The study concluded that Vertical Oscillatory Pressure (VOP) and Lumbar Stabilization Exercises (LSE) were effective independently, however combined VOP and LSE seems to be more effective in the management of CLBP.