title: Pelvic floor muscle exercise for chronic low back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise in patients with chronic low back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with chronic low back pain (with or without radiculopathy) were randomized to undergo either routine treatment (ultrasonography, short wave diathermy and lumbar strengthening exercises; control group) or routine treatment with pelvic floor exercises (intervention group) for 24 weeks. Pain, disability (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] score) and trunk muscle function were assessed at baseline and after completion of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study included 47 patients (control group n = 24; intervention group n = 23). Pain severity and ODI scores were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group after 24 weeks. There were no significant between-group differences in trunk muscle function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pelvic floor exercise in combination with routine treatment provides significant benefits in terms of pain relief and disability over routine treatment alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Pudong New District Gongli Hospital, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.forename: Jiangxia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhihao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jinming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
mesh_terms: D000009:Abdominal Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003710:Demography; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D017773:Pelvic Floor / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography