Physical exercise reduces physical disability and psychological suffering in patients with chronic low back pain: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of segmental systemic stabilization in low back pain patients on the physical disability, psychological stress, and inflammatory profile of patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. We evaluated the effect of patients with Chronic Low Back Pain diagnosis (caused by spondylodiscoarthrosis and herniated lumbar disc) treated with segmental spine stabilization. Physical disability (performed by the Oswestry disability index), psychological distress (performed by patient health questionnaire-9) and concentrations of IL-1β, pro-inflammatory, and IL-10, anti-inflammatory, in the plasma and culture supernatant of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (performed by ELISA) were evaluated before and at the end of the sessions of physiotherapy (16 sessions; twice a week with an average duration of 60 minutes). The patients with Chronic Low Back Pain who underwent spine stabilization exercises had a reduction of physical disability, psychological stress, an increase of IL-10 production and reduction of IL-1β production when compared to basal level. The regular practice of segmental spine stabilization exercises decreased physical disability, psychological distress, and inflammatory profile from adults with specific Chronic Low Back Pain diagnosis.