Muscle contraction exercise for low back pain.

BACKGROUND

Low-back pain (LBP) continues to be one of the main problems for which sufferers seek treatment in primary care. It can be treated with different physiotherapy mechanisms.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study is to compare the effect of isotonic and isometric exercise on the reported pain of patients with low back pain.

METHODS

Thirty participants, 16 males and 14 females aged between 22 and 50 years suffering from nonspecific low back pain were included. The sample was divided randomly into two groups, group A isometric exercises and group B isotonic exercises, both groups received conservative therapy of TENS and infrared (IR) therapy. The following outcome measures were used: Visual analogue scale, modified Oswestry disability index (MODI) and Endurance Test Measurement were administered pre-treatment and at the end of four weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

Both groups were comparable in terms of demographic data, except for weight. Inter group analysis was done using the Mann-Whitney test. When comparing pre- and post-treatments using VAS scores, there were no significant differences between group A and group B (pre-test: P=0.285; Post-test: P=0.838). Mann-Whitney test was used to calculate the P-value test between pre-treatment and post- treatment for MODI and there was no significant difference between group A and group B, where the pre-test P-value was 0.061, and post-treatment was 0.077. Comparing between groups, pre- and post-abdominal endurance scores were done using the Mann-Whitney test. The pre-treatment scores revealed P value of 0.345, and the post-treatment scores revealed P value of 0.305. Therefore, there is no statistically significant difference between group A and group B in endurance scores.

CONCLUSION

There was no difference between the use isotonic and isometric exercises on LBP patients.