Effectiveness of brief education combined with a home-based exercise program on pain and disability of office workers with chronic low back pain: A pilot study

Abstract

[Purpose] This pilot study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of brief education combined with home exercise programs on pain and disability of office workers with chronic non-specific LBP. [Subject] A quasi-experimental study of single group, pretest-posttest design with 30 workers as subjects serving as their own controls was conducted. [Methods] Initially, demographic characteristics and outcome measures, including pain intensity using a visual analogue scale and the Roland-Morris disability score, were collected every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. Participants then received interventions for 8 weeks, consisting of brief education regarding LBP and individually designed home exercise programs, focusing on core stability, stretching and mobility exercises. After that, outcome measures were collected every 2 weeks for 6 weeks. [Results] Pain intensity and disability gradually decreased after completion of the interventions. However, pain intensity decreased to a significant level only after completion of the intervention for 4-6 weeks. No significant difference in disability level was found between pre- and postintervention. [Conclusion] The combination of brief education and a home exercise program can alleviate the pain intensity of office workers with chronic non-specific LBP. Further research using a randomized controlled trial design is required to validate this preliminary finding.