Effect of Spinal Stabilization and Hip Joint Mobility Enhancing Exercise Programs in Persons with Non-Specific Chronic Lower Back Pain

Abstract

Background. One of the main reasons of lower back pain is the weakness of trunk muscle and impaired control of deep trunk muscles. In order to maintain lumbar spine and pelvis stability, and to avoid pain or dysfunction, it is important to activate the multifidus muscle, transversus abdominis, internal oblique and gluteus maximus muscles (Kim & Yim, 2020).

Aim. To evaluate the effect of spinal stabilization exercising program and spinal stabilization with hip joint mobility enhancing exercise program on pain and functional state for people with chronic non-specific lower back pain.

Material and methods. The study involved 20 subjects with lower back pain randomly divided into two groups: I group and II group. The first group had an age average of 24,90 ± 3,70 years, while the average age of the second group was 30 ± 4,30 years. All groups participated in a six-week exercise program three times a week. Measurements assessed: pain, functional disability, trunk mobility, femur measurement of the amplitude, static endurance of abdominal muscles.

Results. After the study pain decreased in both groups (p <0.05). Lower back instability increased in both groups (p <0.05). Femur motion amplitude increased when flexing and extending, abduction and adduction in the first group (p <0.05). The second group remained statistically significantly unchanged. Functional disability decreased in the both groups (p <0.05). Abdominal muscles static endurance decreased (p <0.05). After the study no significant difference in the assessed indicators between the groups was found.

Conclusions. The application of both spinal stabilization and spinal stabilization combined with hip joint mobility enhancing exercises reduced back pain, improved lumbar back stability, increased femur movement amplitude, however the study found no significant difference between programs.

Key words: spinal stability exercise, hip mobility exercise, low back pain.