The effect of isolated lumbar extension exercise program on clinical outcome in patients with chronic low back pain

Abstract

[한글]

[영문]

OBJECTIVE: Chronic back pain had been increased gradually in an aging society. Many treatment methods for chronic back pain, including physical therapy, medication, surgical operation, were used. Recently the importance of exercise and back muscle was on the rise. In this study, the effects of isolated lumbar extension exercise on pain, disability, and power of back muscle in patients with chronic low back pain were assessed.METHODS : Fifty patients (twenty seven men, thirty women) with more than 12 weeks of low back pain and degenerative disc disease on magnetic resonance imaging were divided into an exercise group (thirteen men, fifteen women) and a control group (fourteen men, fifteen women). All patients underwent measurement of isometric strength of the lumbar extensor muscle with MedX (MedX, Ocala, FL, USA) lumbar extension machine and completed the visual analogue scale (VAS) for back pain and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) to assess pain and disability, respectively before and after 12 weeks of training. Control group was treated with physiotherapy and analgesics without programmed exercise training.RESULTS : The mean lumbar extensor muscle power of the exercise group was improved from 125.67±56.92 lb to 178.52±56.98 lb after 12 weeks program of isolated lumbar extension exercise. The mean lumbar extensor muscle power of the control group was improved from 133.30±57.18 lb to 144.56±57.45 lb after 12 weeks of conservative treatment except exercise. The lumbar extensor muscle power was improved 42.05% and 8.45% in exercise group and control group, respectively (P<0.05). VAS was improved from 5.36 to 1.43 in exercise group, from 5.20 to 4.05 in control group (P<0.05). The improvement of lumbar extensor power and VAS shows positive correlation in both exercise and control group (P<0.05) ODI was improved from 27.89% to 17.44% in exercise group, from

21.06 to 20.09 in control group (P<0.05). The improvement of lumbar extensor power and ODI shows positive correlation in the exercise group (P<0.05). But in the control group, there was no correlation between the improvement of lumbar extensor power and ODI (P=0.80)CONCLUSION : Isolated lumbar extension exercise program exerts a positive influence on chronic low back, disability and power of lumbar extensor muscles.