Document Type : Original Articles
Authors
1 Department of Sport Rehabilitation, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Bu Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
2 Department of Neurosurgery, School of Medicine, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Chronic Non-Specific low back pain (CNSLBP) is recognized as one of the leading causes of work absenteeism and increased reliance on health insurance and healthcare services. Despite the widespread impact of this condition, there remains a scarcity of research investigating the effects of open and closed kinetic chain (O/CKC) exercises conducted in water on improving CNSLBP. Therefore, this study aimed to assessing the impact of closed and open kinetic chain hydrotherapy on lumbo-pelvic stability, pain intensity, kinesiophobia, rate of loading, and vertical ground reaction force in in men with non-specific chronic low back pain.
Methods: The double-blind randomized controlled trial was designed with a pre-post-test in men aged 40-60 (48.10 ± 5.97) with CNSLBP. Patients were randomly assigned to two hydrotherapy groups CKCE and OKCE and the control group in this clinical trial. Pain intensity, kinesiophobia, Lumbo-Pelvic Stability (LPS), Rate of Loading (ROL) and Vertical Ground Reaction Force (vGRF) were measured with the visual analog scale, Tampa kinesiophobia scale, biofeedback pressure, and plantar pressures device. The intervention groups performed prescribed exercises for eight weeks and three sessions per week. The analysis of covariance was used to compare the group differences.
Results: In the comparison within the OKCE and CKCE groups, significant differences were observed in the pre- and post-intervention measurements (p<0.05). Moreover, there were statistically significant differences in pain (p=0.001) and kinesiophobia scores (p=0.001) with a large effect size. Additionally, noteworthy differences were noted in vGRF (P=0.003), ROL (P=0.012), and LPS variables (p=0.022).
Conclusion: The study results indicate that utilizing hydrotherapy exercises involving open and closed kinetic chains is beneficial in the rehabilitation of individuals with CNSLBP. We suggest that healthcare professionals, including doctors, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists, include these exercises in their comprehensive rehabilitation programs for such patients.
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