تأثیر سه روش آب درمانی، ورزش با الگوی اکستانسیونی و فلکسیونی بر استقامت عضلات تنه و شدت درد در زنان مبتلا به کمردرد مزمن غیر اختصاصی

Introduction: Back pain is a common complaint both in developing and developed countries with a prevalence of 70-80% among the adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of three different exercises (hydrotherapy, McKenzie extension and Williams flexion exercises) on truncal muscle strength and pain intensity among females with chronic low back pain (LBP). Methods: The female participants (No=68, age: 21-27 years) with chronic LBP were selected based on available purposeful sampling and were randomly assigned into 4 groups: control and three experimental (Hydrotherapy, McKenzie and Williams) groups. The strength of truncal flexor and extensors and the pain intensity of participants were assessed with a pre-/post design. The participants undergone the exercises for 12 weeks, 3 sessions/week, 45 minutes each week. The data were analyzed using paired t-test, one way ANOVA and the post hoc Scheffe’s test. Result: The findings obtained from comparing the mean for the strength of truncal flexor and extensors in pre-/post-periods showed a significant difference (P=0.001), but the ratio of truncal flexor to extensors was significant only in Williams exercise group (P=0.001) and the significant relief of pain intensity in both hydrotherapy and Williams exercise groups. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness of hydrotherapy and the flexor pattern of Williams exercises on pain intensity and the ratio of truncal flexor to extensors, performing such exercises are recommended to chronic low back pain patients.