Global Postural Reeducation To TREAT Chronic LOW Back PAIN: Randomized, Controlled Trial

Priscila Almeida Lawand¹, Imperio Lombardi Jr², Carla Caires Sardim¹, Luiza H. C. Ribeiro³, Anamaria Jones³ and Jamil Natour⁴, ¹Division of Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, ²Division of Health Sciences, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Santos, Brazil, ³Unifesp-EPM, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil, ⁴Rheumatology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

Meeting: ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting 2013

Keywords: exercise, functional status, Low back pain, pain and quality of life

Session Information

Title: ARHP Orthopedics, Low Back Pain and Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation Sciences

Session Type: Abstract Submissions (ARHP)

Background/Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of physical limitations and absenteeism at work throughout the world. A number of studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of therapeutic exercises on reducing pain symptoms and improving function in patients with chronic LBP. Global Postural Reeducation (GPR) technique theoretically consists of a reestablishment of the balance in the myofascial tension of different chains of muscles. GPR is based on the notion that a shortened muscle creates compensations in other proximal or distal muscles. One systematic review assessed the use of GPR for different conditions of the musculoskeletal system and found only one RCT that demonstrated a significant improvement in functional capacity in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. However, there are no previous randomized, controlled, clinical trials assessing the effectiveness of GPR on chronic LBP. The purpose of this study were to assess the effectiveness of global postural reeducation (GPR) on pain, function, quality of life and depressive symptoms in patients with chronic LBP.

Methods: Sixty-one patients with chronic LBP were randomly allocated to either the GPR group or a control group. Patients in the GPR group underwent one weekly 60-minute session of GPR for a period of 12 weeks. The control group remained on the waiting list under clinical treatment, with no physical intervention. Pain, function capacity, quality of life and depressive symptoms were assessed using a visual analog scale (VAS), the Roland-Morris questionnaire (RMQ), the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey (SF-36) and the Beck Inventory, respectively. The evaluations were performed by a blinded examiner at baseline, three months and six months after the initial evaluation and the data were analysis using an intention to treat approach.

Results: The GPR group demonstrated significant improvements in pain (p<0.001) and function (p<0.001) as well as the domains: pain (p=0.047), emotional aspects (p=0.008), limitation in physical functioning (p=0.040), vitality (p=0.003) and mental health (p=0.034) of the SF-36.

Conclusion: Based on the findings, GPR proved to be effective regarding pain, function and some domains of quality of life in chronic LBP patients.

Disclosure:

P. A. Lawand,
None;

I. Lombardi Jr,
None;

C. C. Sardim,
None;

L. H. C. Ribeiro,
None;

A. Jones,
None;

J. Natour,
None.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/global-postural-reeducation-to-treat-chronic-low-back-pain-randomized-controlled-trial/