Family Medicine & Primary Care Review

Abstract

2/2020 vol. 22
Original paper

Comparison of the impact of two physiotherapeutic methods on pain and disability in patients with non-specific low back pain: a controlled clinical pilot study

Ingrid Palaščáková Špringrová 1
,
Anežka Krejčová 2
,
Elena Bendíková 3
,
Šárka Tomková 4
,
Wioletta Łubkowska 5
,
Bożena Mroczek 6
  1. Rehaspring Physiotherapy and Education Center, Čelakovice, Czech Republic
  2. ACT Centrum S.R.O., Postgraduate Education Center, Establishment Accredited by the Ministry of Health of the Czech Republic, Praha–Čelákovice, Czech Republic
  3. Matej Bel University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Physical Education and Sports, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia 4 St. Elisabeth University of Health Care and Social Work, Bratislava, Slovakia
  4. St. Elisabeth University of Health Care and Social Work, Bratislava, Slovakia
  5. Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Szczecin, Poland
  6. Department of Human Sciences in Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland
Fam Med Prim Care Rev 2020; 22(2): 146–151
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5114/fmpcr.2020.95323
Online publish date: 2020/07/02
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Introduction

Lower back pain (LBP) is a serious public health problem which is widespread, particularly in developed countries. The aim of this study was to compare the impact of two physical therapy approaches, i.e., Acral Coactivation Therapy (ACT) and conventional therapy, in terms of intensity of pain and disability in patients with non-specific LBP.

Material and methods

Thirty patients in subacute or chronic stages of LBP were involved in this single-blind pilot study. The experimental group consisted of 15 patients (age: 39.3 ± 6.3; BMI: 27.1 ± 5.2) who worked out according to ACT. The control group included 15 patients (age: 45.3 ± 7.1; BMI: 27.8 ± 5.8) who followed conventional therapy. The patients in both groups completed 10 therapy sessions. The Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) was used to assess any change in pain between the first and last therapy sessions, and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was applied to assess current pain before and after each therapy session. The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was used to assess the effect on disability.

Results

The patients who followed ACT showed a larger decrease in the scores of almost all criteria of pain assessment on the SF-MPQ (p < 0.05), a larger decrease in current pain evaluation according to the VAS within individual therapy sessions (p < 0.05), and a larger decrease in disability score in the ODI (p < 0.05) in comparison with the control group.

Conclusions

ACT is an efficient therapy for pain reduction, both immediately after a workout and long-term.

Keywords

lower back pain, physical therapy modalities, pain measurement, disability

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