Despite advances in intervention, many patients presenting with nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) fail to have recovery from symptoms and activity limitation. Evidence suggests that interventions commonly used by physical therapists, may be effective for some but not all subsets of people with low back pain. Posterior anterior vertebral mobilizations (PAVMs) followed by prone press up (PPU) exercise are commonly used in clinical practice without a firm evidence. Research has shown this intervention decreases nonspecific low back pain on immediate effects but there is still limitation.The objective of this study is to determine the effects of posterior anterior vertebral mobilization followed by prone press-up exercise in comparison to conventional physiotherapy in nonspecific low back pain. The hypothesis is that the PAVMs followed by PPU exercise is more effective as compared to conventional physiotherapy to improve pain, lumbar range of motion, disability and quality of life in NSLBP. So, a randomized controlled trial will be conducted at Sindh Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. One hindered and twenty patients with 18-40 years old having NSLB will be included on the basis of non-probability and purposive sampling technique and consent will be taken. Participants will be allocated into two groups through computer random sampling software. Experimental group will receive posterior-anterior vertebral mobilization followed by prone press up exercise and control group will receive conventional therapy (thermotherapy with general stretching exercises). All participants will be assessed using assessment form. After taking demo-graphical information, pain (in standing, sitting and walking), lumbar flexion and extension, functional disability and quality of life will be assessed before and after the treatment. All the data will be analysed for descriptive and inferential analysis.
Initially, sample size of 38 was calculated through open epi software version 3.01 with 95% confidence interval and 80% power of test with post-test VAS mean (4.6) and standard deviation (1.2), in experimental group 17 and post-test VAS mean (3.6) and standard deviation (0.94) in control group on the basis of previous literature. Due to the low sample size at least 50 subjects per group were considered first. After including drop rate of 20%, 60 subjects per group will be considered with sample size of 120 participants having NSLBP. A maximum drop-out rate of 20% is assumed. All the data will be kept confidential. The privacy of all patients will be maintained. The patient recruitment, data collection, data management, data analysis, reporting for adverse events, and change management will be monitored by Institutional Review Board of the same institute. Data will be analysed using SPSS 23 version. Mean ± SD will be calculated of quantitative variables like age. Frequency and percentage will be calculated for qualitative variables. Intention to treat analysis will be used. The intra-group and inter-group analysis will be performed with two way repeated measure ANOVA. The p-value of 0.025 will be considered as level of significance.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
120
Posterior-anterior vertebral mobilizations of the lumbar spine are achieved by applying a force on to a spinous process in a posteroanterior direction (Back to front). Prone press-up exercise is started in the prone position (lying on stomach) on a flat surface. Participant keeps hands underneath the shoulders then press up his or her upper body while trying to keep the hips on the floor.
Traditionally used physiotherapy for the treatment of nonspecific low back pain (thermotherapy and general stretching exercises)
Sindh Institute Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan
Pain intensity during walking on visual analogue scale
It is a self-administered 10 cm scale (line) where 0 cm suggests no pain and 10 suggests most excruciating pain. It will be used to asses pain in walking. Increase in score suggests increase in pain and decrease in score suggests decrease in pain.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Pain intensity during standing on visual analogue scale
It is a self-administered 10 cm scale (line) where 0 cm suggests no pain and 10 suggests most excruciating pain. It will be used to asses pain in standing. Increase in score suggests increase in pain and decrease in score suggests decrease in pain.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Pain intensity during sitting position on visual analogue scale
It is a self-administered 10 cm scale (line) where 0 cm suggests no pain and 10 suggests most excruciating pain. It will be used to asses pain in sitting. Increase in score suggests increase in pain and decrease in score suggests decrease in pain.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Lumbar flexion range of motion using Modified-Modified Schober test
Both posterior superior iliac spines (PSIS) of participant are marked with body marker. A midline point on sacrum (lower mark) between those two PSIS are localized and marked. Then the upper mark is marked at 15 cm above the midline point at sacrum. The distance between the marks will be measured after bending forward. The length is subtracted from 15 cm to indicate lumbar flexion range of motion. Increase in score suggests increase and decrease in score suggests decrease in flexion range of motion.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Lumbar extension range of motion using Modified-Modified Schober test
Both posterior superior iliac spines (PSIS) of participant are marked with body marker. A midline point on sacrum (lower mark) between those two PSIS are localized and marked. Then the upper mark is marked at 15 cm above the midline point at sacrum. The distance between the marks will be measured after bending backward. The change in distance between those marks indicates the lumbar extension ROM. Decrease in score suggests increase in extension and increase in score suggests decrease in extension range of motion.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Isometric endurance of back extensor muscles using prone isometric chest raise test
The test consists of assessing how many seconds the participant can keep the sternum off the floor while placed prone with the arms along the body. A small pillow is placed under the iliac crest to decrease the lumbar lordosis. The subject is asked to maintain the position for as long as possible, not exceeding a 5 min time limit.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Functional disability on Oswestry Disability Index
Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire is a standard questionnaire with questions regarding pain and the disabling effect on daily activities. Its score ranges from 0 to 100 (no disability to maximum disability). decrease in score suggests decrease in disability and increase in score suggests increase in disability.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
Quality of life on World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version
It is a self-administered questionnaire. The World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) addresses four quality of life domains: physical health, psychological health, social relationships and environment. The scoring is done by summing all the points of all 4 domains and transforming into 0-100 scale, where higher score means high Qquality of life and low score means low quality of life.
Time frame: Baseline and after 15 week
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