Background and objective: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is a major public health problem in industrialized countries and is one of the most common reasons for seeking healthcare. Although the McKenzie therapy is widely used for the treatment of low back pain, there is evidence for no improvement with exercise in short-, intermediate-, or long-term outcomes of pain relief or function. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of the McKenzie therapy with electrophysical agents (EPAs) in patients with chronic LBP.
Material and method: A randomized controlled comparative trial with a 3-month follow-up period was conducted between January 2009 and June 2012. 271 patients with chronic LBP, (more than three months duration of symptoms) were randomized into two groups: the McKenzie therapy group (n=134), and electrophysical agents group, (n=137). The treatment period of both groups was 4 weeks at an outpatient clinic. Clinical outcomes (pain intensity, trunk flexion range of motion, and disability) were obtained at follow-up appointments at the end of the treatment period, 2 and 3 months.
Results: Significant improvement of spinal motion, reduction of pain and disability were demonstrated in both groups but the results show the greater improvement in the McKenzie group (p< 0.05).
Conclusion: McKenzie therapy reduces pain, and disability, among subjects with chronic LBP. This study revealed that the McKenzie therapy is more effective than EPAs group.
Keywords: Low back pain; McKenzie therapy; electrophysical agents; randomized controlled trial.