Effect of the 8 Weeks of Trunk Exercises for Prevention of Low Back Pain in Elderly People -Effect on Health-Related QOL and Balance Ability-

Abstract

Purpose: We examined the effect of trunk exercise for prevention of low back pain on health-related QOL and balance ability. Subjects: Twenty-four people (74 ± 5.1 years old) participated in this study. They were assigned to an exercise group or a control group. Methods: Health-related QOL was evaluated using SF-36. Balance ability was evaluated by postural sway during one leg standing and unstable sitting, and sitting time during unstable sitting. Results: After eight weeks of exercise, significant changes in health-related QOL and balance ability were observed in the exercise group, but not in the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that the exercises conducted in this study were effective for improvement of one leg standing balance, unstable sitting balance and health-related QOL.