Chronic Low-back Pain (cLBP)
Conditions
Keywords
Pain, Exercise, Hydrotherapy, Aquatic Therapy, Disability
Brief summary
The goal of this randomized clinical trial\] is to study the effect of a combined aquatic and land-based exercise program compared to an aquatic program on pain, functional disability, and quality of life in adults with chronic low back pain. The main question it aims to answer is: Does a combined aquatic and land-based exercise program improve functional disability and quality of life and reduce pain in adults with chronic low back pain?. Participants will perform an aquatic exercise program (control group) or a combined aquatic and land-based exercise program (experimental group). Researchers will compare groups to find any differences in pain, funcional disability and quality of life.
Interventions
This intervention will include 16 sessions of an aquatic-exercise program, twice a week, over 8 weeks at a water temperature between 32-34°C. Each session will be conducted in groups of 8 to 12 patients and will last about 45 minutes.
This intervention will include 8 sessions in 8 weeks, once a week. Each session will last between 25 to 35 minutes and will be divided into two components: core stability exercises and stretching of the trunk and lower limbs.
Sponsors
Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco
Instituto Politécnico de Leiria
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Caregiver, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Both gender; * Portuguese nationality; * Aged over 18 years; * Chronic Low Back Pain lasting three months or longer and with an intensity of 3 or higher on the Visual Analogue Scale at rest.
Exclusion criteria
* Individuals who refuse to participate or do not provide informed consent; * Pain radiating to the lower limb; * Recent pregnancy or childbirth (less than 8 weeks ago); * Ongoing physical therapy treatments; * Severe rheumatological, neurological, neoplastic, cardiovascular diseases or other conditions that could prevent full participation in the intervention; * History of spinal surgery; * Inflammatory, infectious, or malignant spinal diseases; * Psychiatric disorders that may affect adherence and symptom assessment.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks | Quantitive variable evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (Minimum: 0; Maximum 10). Higher values correspond to worse outcome. |
| Functional Disability | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks | Quantitive variable evaluated with Oswestry Disability Index - version 2.0. (Minimum: 0; Maximum 100). Higher values correspond to worse outcome. |
| Quality of life | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks | Quantitive variable evaluated with MOS Short Form Health Survey 36 Item v2. (Minimum: 0; Maximum 100). Higher values correspond to better outcome. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Lumbar spine range of motion | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks | Quantitive variable evaluated with Modified-Modified Schober Test. |
| Fear of movement or (re)injury | From enrollment to the end of treatment at 8 weeks | Quantitive variable evaluated with Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-13. (Minimum: 13; Maximum 52). Higher values correspond to worse outcome. |
Countries
Portugal
Outcome results
None listed