title: A multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic low back pain: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme for patients with chronic low back pain in Hong Kong, and to identify factors associated with work resumption.
  
  
  METHODS
  57 men and 8 women aged 20 to 56 (mean, 39) years who had a more than 3-month history of low back pain and were unresponsive to more than 6 months of conventional treatment participated in a 14-week multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme involving physical conditioning, work conditioning, and work readiness. Training protocols entailed flexibility and endurance training, hydrotherapy, weight lifting, and work stimulation. Patients were assessed at baseline (week 1), week 7, week 14, and month 6 with regard to the intensity of low back pain, self-perceived disability, range of lumbar motion, isoinertial performance of the trunk muscles, and depression level. Patient demographics that influenced work resumption were identified using a prediction model. Patients who did and did not return to work were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 54 patients who completed all follow-up assessments, 28 returned to work and 26 did not. The latter was significantly older (37 vs. 42 years, p=0.038) and absent from work longer (11 vs. 22 months, p=0.029) than the former. The rehabilitation programme helped patients regain physical function and the ability to work. Patients who returned to work showed greater improvement in self-perceived disability and physical function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This rehabilitation programme facilitated regain of physical functioning and the ability to return to work. The pre-programme employment status, duration of absence from work, and patient age were the most important predictors for work resumption.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Keith Dip Kei
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Luk
authors.forename: Thomas Wai Man
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Yat Wa
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Kenneth Man Chee
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.forename: Keith Ying Kei
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Aldous Chun Shing
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Mike Wing Wang
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Karlen Kar Pui
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Peter Wing Ho
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gladys Lai Ying
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Cheing
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012050:Rehabilitation, Vocational / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult