To Study the Effects of Core Stability Exercise in Desk Job Patients with Mechanical Low Back Pain

Abstract

Background
Mechanical low back pain (MLBP) is a mechanically-derived, musculoskeletal back pain not involving nerve root compression or serious spinal diseases. Prevalence is higher in young and active adults with nearly 60% people. These people have suffered from low back pain at some time during their lifespan. Low back pain also restricts mobility, interferes with normal functioning and results in lifelong pain and permanent disability. Lack of spinal core stability is supposed to be one of the important predisposing causes of recurrent low back pain.
Objective of the Study
To investigate the effect of core stability exercise on pain intensity in patients with mechanical low backache.
Methods and Materials
All 10 eligible young patients both male and female were included in the study. They were suffering from no radiating non-specific low backache after sitting at desks for an extended period of time from last six weeks. They were informed about the study. Informed consent was taken from the willingly participating patients after explaining the procedure from subjects, by experiencing non-specific low back pain since six weeks. Measures of pain intensity on visual analogue scale (VAS) was recorded. The study was conducted in a busy physiotherapy centre in Ludhiana, Punjab, India. Data was collected on day 0 and day 21. It was statistically analyzed by student’s unpaired t-test and results were obtained. Comparisons were made between day 0 and day 21 on included subjects. Exercise like abdominal curl ups, progressive exercises in hook lying with cycling, quadruped positioning, prone lying with progression to contralateral upper and lower extremity lifting and then head, trunk, arm and leg lifts for 30 second hold 5 repetitions at day 0 progressing to 10 and then 15 repetitions at day 21.
Results
The study showed that the values on unpaired t-test were significant and relevant in statistical and data analysis on 5% level of significance.
Conclusion
Core stabilization helps to decrease pain intensity in mechanical non-specific low back pain. Core stabilization exercises should be an integral component of treatment protocol for patients with low back pain.