Effects of exercise therapy prior to treatment for a patient with adult spinal deformity and chronic back pain

Abstract

Introduction: Although the usefulness of exercise therapy for chronic low back pain is being recognized, the effects for patients with adult spinal deformity and chronic low back pain are only sporadically reported. In this study, the effect of exercise therapy on a patient with adult spinal deformity and chronic low back pain was verified, and its usefulness to relieve low back pain was examined.

Methods: Forty-three adults who had been diagnosed with spinal deformity were recruited for this study, and they received outpatient physical therapy intervention for three months. The patients were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS for back pain), 6-minute walking ability test (6MWT), and Japanese Orthopaedic Association back pain evaluation questionnaire (JOABPEQ), before and after the intervention.

Results: Significant differences were observed in VAS, 6MWT, and JOABPEQ (low back pain, lumbar function, walking ability, and social life function domain) between pre- and post-intervention. Twenty-two patients (51%) showed an improvement of VAS over 20 mm, and the improvement was greater with a more favorable VAS before intervention.

Conclusions: The usefulness of exercise therapy for the patient with adult spinal deformity and chronic back pain was shown even in the first 3month. The presence of severe back pain before intervention indicated that its reduction could be expected.