Aerobic fitness in women with chronic discogenic nonradicular low back pain

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2006 Jul;85(7):607-13. doi: 10.1097/01.phm.0000223357.46190.cb.

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if aerobic fitness varies between women with and without chronic discogenic non-radicular low back pain.

Design: Prospective cross-sectional descriptive study.

Results: : Analysis of variance revealed that maximal oxygen consumption was lower (P = 0.05) in women with low back pain compared with the control group. In addition, there was a significant reduction (P = 0.05) in reported exercise training duration and frequency but no change in exercise intensity (P = 0.1) in the study group after the onset of low back pain. The low back pain group had minimal disability (19%) based on the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire.

Conclusions: Women with chronic discogenic non-radicular low back pain have lower maximal oxygen consumption than age-matched controls. However, this study group continued to exercise safely at the same exercise training intensity as before their low back pain and had minimal disability and above-average aerobic fitness.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Chronic Disease
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Exercise / physiology*
  • Exercise Tolerance / physiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Low Back Pain / etiology
  • Low Back Pain / metabolism
  • Low Back Pain / physiopathology*
  • Lumbar Vertebrae*
  • Oxygen Consumption / physiology*
  • Physical Fitness / physiology*
  • Prospective Studies
  • Spinal Diseases / complications*
  • Spinal Diseases / metabolism
  • Spinal Diseases / physiopathology