Chronic Low Back Pain (Non-specific, Uncomplicated)
Conditions
Keywords
Chronic low back pain, Aquatic therapy, Hydrotherapy, Water-based exercise, Exercise intervention, Land Exercise, Quality of life, Rehabilitation research, Functional Disability
Brief summary
This study aims to learn about the effects of aquatic and land exercises on managing chronic low back pain in adults aged 18-65. The participants engage in a 12-week supervised land and water-based exercise program. The main questions this study aims to answer are: * How effective are aquatic exercises on low back pain, functional disability, Kinesiophobia, sleep quality, and overall quality of life? * Is aquatic therapy more effective than land exercises for treating LBP or vice versa?
Interventions
OTHERAquatic Exercises
The aquatic exercise intervention consists of structured, supervised, water-based exercises designed and delivered by an experienced physiotherapist specifically for individuals with chronic low back pain. Sessions are conducted in a temperature-controlled swimming pool with proper warm-up and cool-down. The intervention follows a progressive intensity approach with easy, medium, and hard approaches.
OTHERLand Exercises
The land-based exercise intervention mirrors the aquatic exercise protocol regarding exercise type, duration, frequency, and progression but is performed on land.
Sponsors
University of Edinburgh
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Parallel-group, Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) design
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Age between 18 and 65 * Both Genders * Literate in the English language to understand instructions/ to complete a self-report questionnaire. * Having non-specific Chronic low back pain (≥12 weeks) * Patient willingness to be a part of any randomly selected treatment groups.
Exclusion criteria
* Pregnant Females * If they had low back pain as the result of diagnosis of severe osteoporosis, spinal bone disorders such as spondylosis and spondylolisthesis, fractures, lumbar spine stenosis, lower limb joint replacement surgery, hip orthosis, ankylosing spondylitis, rheumatoid arthritis, infective or inflammatory disease, compression of the radial nerve, meningitis, arthrosis, lumbar region tumours, Leg length discrepancy, previous back surgery. * Uncontrolled hypertension, Severe postural hypotension, any heart disease like Left heart failure or exercise-induced angina. Medical illnesses without a medical managing plan in place, e.g., uncontrolled epilepsy, diabetes mellitus. Neurologic deficit, open wounds, current or recurrent radiation treatment. * Patients with severe depression and psychosis * People who are already participating in an individually-prescribed exercise programme for LBP. Aquatic exercises /Pool specific: * Individuals with hydrophobia/ water-related anxiety, or inability to adapt to an aquatic environment. * Allergy to chlorine, Severe limiting airway disease * Faecal or urinary incontinence, diarrhoea, and vomiting. * Weight more than the emergency evacuation manual handling risk assessment.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Pain Intensity | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | Pain intensity is measured by the Numerical Pain Rating Scale where the participants will report their pain as 0 (no pain) and 10(worst imaginable pain). |
| Functional Disability | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | Functional disability is assessed by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, a 24-item self-reported measure evaluating the impact of low back pain on daily activities. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Kinesiophobia (Fear of Movement-Related to Pain) | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | Kinesiophobia is measured with the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, a 17-item questionnaire designed to measure the fear associated with the chronic pain and movement. |
| Health-Related Quality of Life | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | Quality of Life is assessed by the Short-Form Health Survey 36, a validated questionnaire measuring the eight physical and mental health domains. |
| Hamstring Flexibility | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | The active knee extension test is a clinical measure of the hamstring flexibility. |
| Dynamic Balace Performance | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | The Y balance test measures dynamic balance by measuring stability while reaching in three directions: anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral. |
| Sleep Quality | Baseline before the intervention/pre-testing, at the 8th week of the intervention, within a week after the last training session, and three months after the end of the training (Follow-up period). | The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index measures the sleep quality, its scores measured from 0-21, with higher scores indicating poor sleep quality. |
Countries
United Kingdom
Outcome results
None listed