• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.268-277
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• 2023

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Pilates breathing exercises on functional disability and lumbar flexibility in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain. Design: A randomized controlled trial. Methods: 30 patients with non-specific low back pain were selected and classified into an experimental group (n=15) and a control group (n=15). Both groups were assessed for functional disability using the Oswestry Disability Index and flexibility of the lumbar spine using the modified-modified Schober test before and after the intervention. The intervention was applied twice a week for four weeks. The experimental group performed Pilates breathing exercises followed by spinal stabilization exercises, while the control group only performed spinal stabilization exercises. Results: Both groups showed significant improvements in functional disability and lumbar flexibility after the intervention. However, when comparing between the two groups, the experimental group showed a more significant effect than the control group. Conclusions: The combination of Pilates breathing exercises and spinal stabilization exercises can be considered an effective approach to improve low back pain and prevent chronic pain in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.21-27
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• 2020

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy of interferential current (IFC) treatment on the improvement of pain, disability, and balance in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. METHODS: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted with 40 patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups: the IFC treatment group (n = 20) and the placebo treatment group (n = 20). The IFC group received 30 minutes of IFC treatment on the lumbar region, while the placebo group received IFC treatment without real electrical stimulation. The intervention was administered five days a week for two weeks. RESULTS: The primary outcomes of resting pain and pain during functional movement were measured by a visual analogue scale. The secondary measurements included the Oswestry disability index (ODI) for low back pain and postural sway. The measurements were performed before and after the two-week intervention period. Compared to the placebo treatment group, the IFC treatment group showed significantly greater improvement in pain during anterior trunk flexion in the standing position (p = .029), ODI (p = .039), and postural sway when subjects stood with their eyes closed (p = .010) at the end of the intervention. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that IFC treatment can improve pain, disability, and postural sway, thus, highlighting the benefits of somatosensory stimulation from IFC.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.105-112
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• 2015

Objectives To investigate clinical effects of needle embedding acupuncture treatments for chronic low back pain patients. Methods 30 patients with chronic low back pain were recruited and randomized into two groups-the embedding acupuncture group or the placebo. At baseline, the age, height, weight, visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were measured. And surface electromyography (SEMG) data of both erector spinae at L2, L4 level were also measured on both groups and asymmetry index (AI) were calculated. The embedding or placebo acupuncture treatment was performed on the erector spinae according to SEMG values; immediately after the first evaluation and 48 hours after the first visit. After 96 hours of intervention, the VAS, ODI score and SEMG of both erector spinae were measured again. Statistical significance was determined using the Wilcoxon signed ranks test or the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Results The mean VAS, ODI score after treatment was decreased significantly compared with baseline on both groups. And the VAS, ODI score and AI of the embedding acupuncture group was more decreased significantly than the placebo (p<0.05). Conclusions The results suggest that embedding acupuncture for chronic low back pain patients was effective on the VAS pain score, ODI score and AI of the erector spinae.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.1792-1798
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate effect of type of physical therapy (spinal stabilization exercise and manual therapy) on pain index and disability index in acute and subacute patients with low back pain (LBP). 23 patients with LBP participated and were randomly assigned. Manual therapy and spinal stabilization exercise was applied for 15-minute sessions occurred 3 sessions a week, for 4 weeks. All subjects received conservative therapy for 30-minute. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Korean version of Oswestry disability index (ODI-K) were measured before and after treatment. There was significant difference in VAS and ODI-K between before and after both treatment (p<.05). There was significant difference in change rate of VAS between manual therapy and spinal sabilization exercise (p<.05), but not in change rate of ODI-K (p>.05). Thus, it is suggested that spinal stabilization exercise is helpful to reduce pain safely in acute and subacute patients with LBP.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.94-102
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to review existing assessment tools for patients with low back pain and improve them through combination. A total of 314 patients with low back pain participated. Their condition was assessed using the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ), the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale (QBPD), and the Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS). Rasch analysis was applied to identify inappropriate items, item difficulties, and the separation index. In this study, the 'sex life' item of the ODQ (10 items) and the 'sleeping' item of the BPFS (12 items) showed misfit statistics, whereas all items of the QBPD (20 items) were appropriate. After combining the ODQ, QBPD and BPFS, Rasch analysis was applied. The 'pain intensity', and the 'sex life' item of the ODQ and the 'throw a ball' item of QBPD showed misfit statistics. These 3 items were retained for further analysis. The remaining 42 combined ODQ-QBPD-BPFS items were arranged according to difficulty. For all subjects, the most difficult item was 'pain intensity', whereas the easiest was 'take food out of the refrigerator'. As the separation index of 42 combined ODQ-QBPD-BPFS was higher than that of the three questionnaires separately, difficulty of items varied with some need for rearrangement. The results of this study confirmed the possibility and need for a new back pain disability assessment tool, and produced one. Further study is needed to refine the questionnaire in consideration of psychosocial and occupational factors.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.33-45
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• 2024

Purpose : This study aimed to compare the effects of spinal manipulation combined with medication on low back pain (LBP), range of motion, and disability in patients with chronic LBP. Methods : Twenty patients with chronic LBP were included in this study. The participants were randomly assigned to the spinal manipulation with medication group (n=10) or the medication only group (n=10). The intervention group received spinal manipulation for 15 minutes, twice a week, and took medication twice a day for eight weeks. The control group received the medication twice daily for eight weeks. Pain intensity assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS), range of motion, and disability due to LBP assessed using the Oswestry disability index were measured before and after the intervention. Results : The intervention group showed a significant improvement in pain intensity compared to the control group (p<.05), and the intervention and control groups significantly improved low back pain after the intervention (p<.05). The intervention group showed a significant improvement in the range of motion in flexion, extension, right lateral flexion, left lateral flexion, and right rotation (p<.05). The intervention group also showed a significant improvement in the change of disability in total score, pain intensity, personal care, lifting and standing compared to the control group (p<.05). Conclusion : This study showed that the combination of spinal manipulation and medication can benefit patients with chronic LBP, as evidenced by significant improvements in pain intensity, ROM, and disability. These findings suggest that utilizing both spinal manipulation and medication can positively affect individuals with chronic LBP. The results of this study should be applied in clinical settings to optimize treatment outcomes in patients with chronic LBP.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.15-29
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• 2024

Background: This study investigated the effects on the range of motion, pain, disability index, and quality of life when applying thoracic mobility exercise in middle-aged women with chronic back pain. Design: pretest-posttest control group design Methods: The study subjects were 32 patients with chronic back pain of 3 months or more among middle-aged women divided 2 groups. All groups were tested thrice a week for 30 minutes per session for four weeks. Each subject was evaluated using the thoracic rotation Range of Motion, the numerical pain rating scale and pressure pain threshold, Disability Index(Oswestry Disability Index), the Quality of Life(SF-36) before and after treatment. Results: As a result of the study, the range of motion at T1 and T2 of the exercise group to which thoracic mobility exercise was applied was significantly increased in both left and right rotations(p<0.05). In the evaluation of pain, the number pain rating scale(NPRS) score decreased significantly(p<0.05), and the pressure pain threshold was significantly increased (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference from the control group. In the evaluation of the disorder index, the Oswestry disorder index decreased significantly after the experiment (p<0.05), and there was a significant difference in group comparison with the control group (p<0.05). In quality of life, there was a significant increase in PCS of SF-36(p<0.05), but there was no significant difference from the control group. Conclusion: Through this study, thoracic mobility exercise can be used as an effective exercise therapy intervention method to improve and promote physical factors of range of motion, pain and disability index, and physical components of quality of life when treating middle-aged women with chronic back pain in the future.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.41-50
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• 2011

Objectives : The purpose of this study is to know that Beck Depression Inventory(BDI) score to effect on improvement degree of low back pain after oriental medical treatment. Methods : We analyzed charts of 33 inpatients who were treated in Ja-Seng Hospital of Oriental Medicine and Bu-Cheon Ja-seng Hospital of Oriental Medicine. Subject is divided into Group A(BDI<10) and Group B(BDI${\geqq}$10). Numerical Rating Scale(NRS) and Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) were checked on admission, after 1 week, NRS and ODI were rechecked to estimate the efficacy of treatments. Results : 1. In both groups, NRS was significantly decreased(p<0.05). Analyzed result of the interaction between the two groups didn't show significant difference(p=0.197). 2. In Group A, ODI was significantly decresed(p<0.05). In Group B, ODI wasn't significantly decreased(p=0.058). The interaction analysis between the two groups didn't show significant difference(p=0.173). 3. Analyzing patients with chronic back pain longer than 6 months by the presence of depression tendency and NRS, ODI decrease after 1 week of ambulation, while the NRS reduction showed relevancy by the depression tendency (p<0.05), the ODI reduction didn't(p=0.272). Conclusions : 1. Although improvement of pain before and after the treatment and degree of functional recovery in high-level BDI group was less than low-level BDI group, but it was stastically insignificant. 2. High BDI score of patients with chronic low back pain is the factor of disturbing pain improvement.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1683-1686
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• 2018

Low back pain (LBP) is the most common reason for seeking physical therapy (PT) care. Recent studies suggest that axial loading can have a positive impact on the intervertebral disc by improving its tensile strength. Further, whole body vibration (WBV) appears to improve spinal muscle relaxation. Therefore, this case study describes the use of axial loading using a mini-trampoline in a female with chronic LBP. This case report is a single subject design. This patient is a 29-year-old female with a six-month history of low back pain following a motor vehicle accident. MRI found herniated discs at L4 and L5, clinical tests were positive for pain in the L4 and L5 dermatome and myotome the slump test was positive for neural tension, and LBP was constant at 4-6/10 over the past four months. She received axial loading exercises using a mini-trampoline and performed six sessions that were, scheduled twice a week for three weeks. Her Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score improved from 40% at the time of her first visit to 22% at her final visit. Pain measure on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) after the first treatment was 7/10, and her pain after the final treatment was 0/10. These changes in the pain scores are clinically significant and exceed the minimal clinically important difference (MCID). This patient had a significant improvement in her pain using the NPRS and the ODI. This case study suggests that axial loading may be an effective treatment for some individuals with discogenic chronic low back pain.

• Safety and Health at Work
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.66-72
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• 2024

Background: This study examines the relationship between functional disability and work ability in workers affected by low back pain (LBP) through an analysis of correlations between the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and Work Ability Index (WAI). The role of personal and work factors on functional disability/work ability levels has also been studied. LBP is the most common musculoskeletal problem and a major disabling health problem worldwide. Its etiology is multifactorial. Multidisciplinary approaches may help reduce the burden of pain and disability and improve job continuity and reintegration at work. Methods: A cohort of 264 patients affected by LBP from an Italian outpatient clinic were included in a clinical diagnostic/therapeutic trial aiming at rehabilitation and return to work through an integrated investigation protocol. Data were collected during the first medical examination using anamnestic and clinical tools. The final sample is composed of 252 patients, 57.1% man, 44.0 % blue collars, 46.4% with the high school degree, 45.6% married. Results: WAI and ODI reported a negative and fair correlation (r = -0.454; p = .000). Workers with acute LBP symptoms have a higher probability of severe disability than those with chronic LBP symptoms. White collars without depressive symptoms reported higher work ability - even in chronic disability conditions-than those with depressive symptoms. Conclusion: The study found that ODI and WAI have a convergent validity and this suggests that the two tools measure capture distinctive aspects of disability related to personal, environmental, and occupational characteristics. The most important and modifiable prognostic factors found for ODI and WAI were depressive symptoms, workday absence, and intensity of back pain. The study also found a mild association between age and ODI. The study's findings highlight the importance of using a multidisciplinary approach to manage and prevent disability due to LBP.