Efficacy and treatment compliance of a home-based rehabilitation programme for chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the efficacy and treatment compliance of a home-based rehabilitation programme for chronic low back pain (CLBP).


METHODS
CLBP outpatients treated in a Physical Medicine Rehabilitation or Rheumatology unit within a university hospital.


METHODS
We performed a prospective, comparative study. The participants were randomly assigned to either a home-based rehabilitation programme (Gp A) or a standard physical therapy (Gp B). The programme included four weekly sessions. In each group, we measured pain intensity (on a visual analogue scale, VAS), flexibility and muscle endurance (the Schöber MacRae test, finger-to-floor distance, thigh-leg angle, the Shirado and Sorensen test), functional and psychological repercussions (the Quebec functional index and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale) and handicap (on a VAS). Follow-up examinations took place at baseline and four weeks and three, six and 12 months later.


RESULTS
One hundred and seven patients (82 women) with a mean+/-standard deviation (S.D.) age of 35.7+/-0.8 years were included (with 54 patients in Gp A). At four weeks, a significant improvement (relative to baseline) was observed for all parameters in both study groups but with a significantly greater difference in Gp A, which was maintained at one year (despite an observed regression of the improvement at six months). At one year, compliance with the home-based rehabilitation programme was good (68.1%) and 59.5% of the patients regarded the programme as useful.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that a home-based rehabilitation programme is as effective as standard physical therapy. However, this type of programme requires patient motivation and regular follow-up.
Ben Salah Frih
Z
Z
Department of Physical Medecine and Rehabilitation, hôpital F. Bourguiba, université de Monastir, 5000 Monastir, Tunisia. Zohra_bensalah@yahoo.fr
Fendri
Y
Y
Jellad
A
A
Boudoukhane
S
S
Rejeb
N
N
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D010045:Outpatients; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010349:Patient Compliance; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010807:Physical Endurance; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012648:Self Care; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult