The effect of individualized gradable stabilization exercises in patients with chronic low back pain: Case-control study.

BACKGROUND: There is no evidence that one exercise program is better than another for rehabilitation of patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

OBJECTIVE: To identify the safety and efficacy of a gradable stabilization exercise protocol in patients with CLBP.

METHODS: This study is a retrospective cohort study with 65 patients. The exercise group received the gradable stabilization exercise protocol for 3 weeks over 6-8 visits, while the control group did not receive any exercise protocol. All subjects were evaluated with the visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire (FABQ), the active sit-up test (AST), side support test (SST), and extensor endurance test (EET).

RESULTS: After gradable stabilization exercise, the exercise group showed significant improvement in VAS, FABQ-W, ODI, AST, SST and EET (p< 0.05). And the exercise group showed better improvement than the control group in VAS, FABQ-W, ODI, AST, SST and EET (p< 0.05). The rate of treatment success was 77.1% among patients assigned to the exercise group, as compared with 12.0% among those assigned to the control group.

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that the gradable stabilization exercise protocol has the possibility to improve clinical and physical findings.