Effectiveness of specific spinal stabilization exercises for mechanical low back pain among postpartum women

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the pain intensity in rest and different functional activities before and after introducing spinal stabilization exercises with conventional Physiotherapy and conventional Physiotherapy alone in postpartum women with mechanical low back pain. Methodology: 14 patients with postpartum mechanical low back pain were purposively selected from Gynecological and Women‟s Health unit, CRP, Mirpur. Then 7 patients with postpartum mechanical low back pain were randomly assigned to spinal stabilization with conventional physiotherapy group and 7 patients to the only conventional physiotherapy group for this randomized control trial study. The study was a single blinded study which has been conducted at Gynecological and Women‟s Health unit, CRP, Mirpur. Trial group was given spinal stabilization with conventional Physical therapy (exercises and also electrotherapeutic modalities) and control group was given conventional Physiotherapy (exercise and electrotherapeutic modalities) only. Both the group received the treatment for a period of 6 days. Numeric Pain Rating Scale was used to measure pain intensity in different functional activities such as swiping, squatting, chair sitting heavy weight lifting, walking, journey by bus or rickshaw and staring. Pain score was analyzed by calculating “Mann- Whitney U test”. Results: Results showed that relative improvement occur in trial group than in control group. Pain scores on numeric Pain Rating Scale on different functional activities such as during toilet sitting, stair climbing were relatively reduced in trial group between both group comparisons and that was also statistically significant. Conclusion: Conventional physiotherapy is effective in improving pain and functional activities but spinal stabilization exercises has an added effect on reducing pain and improving functional activities.

Key words: Spinal stabilization exercises, Conventional physiotherapy, Postpartum mechanical low back pain.