Effects of aquatic exercise on trunk flexibility, back muscle strength, and pain scale in chronic nonspecific low back pain patients

Abstract

Background : Aquatic exercise is an important exercise for people who want to be strong. The warmth and pressure of the water may further assist pain relief and ease the physical movement of chronic low back pain patients.

Objective : This study is aimed to compare the change of trunk flexibility, back muscle strength and pain scale before (week 0) and immediately after aquatic exercise (week 6) in patients with chronic low back pain.

Setting : Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Design : Experimental research.

Methodology : The study was done on 48 subjects that were divided into two groups. The average age of the subjects in the experimental (n = 25) was 42.5 ± 3.5 years old, whereas that of the control group (n = 23) was 41.8 ± 2.6 years old. Subjects baseline characteristics as well as trunk flexibility, back muscle strength and pain scale were recorded before and immediately after the program.

Results : The trunk flexibility, back muscle strength and VAS of the subjects in the control group were not significantly different after the program. In contrast, the subjects in the experimental group showed significantly increased of the scores of trunk flexibility (p = 0.038), and back muscle strength (p = 0.045). In addition, these abilities were significantly better than those of the control group (p = 0.030 for trunk flexibility and p = 0.044 for back muscle strength). On the contrary, the subjects in the control group had significantly greater VAS (p = 0.031) than that of the experimental group.

Conclusions : The results of this study imply effects of aquatic exercises on the improvement of trunk flexibility, back muscle strength and pain scale of patients with chronic low back pain.