title: Long-term effects of an outpatient rehabilitation program in patients with chronic recurrent low back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This longitudinal study investigated long-term effects of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program consisting of resistance and sensorimotor training, patient education, and stress management over 6 months in patients with chronic low back pain.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-six patients with chronic recurrent low back pain performed a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. We assessed pain-free lumbar spine range of motion (ROM), strength of the lumbar extensor muscles, and pain by visual analog scale (VAS). Furthermore, the Roland-Morris (RM) questionnaire and SF-36 were used. The examinations were performed before and after rehabilitation, and a long-term follow-up was performed after 18 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All outcome measurements (ROM, VAS, RM, muscle strength, and SF-36 scores) improved significantly from baseline to the post-rehabilitation evaluation. These improvements were found to persist until a follow-up evaluation 18 months after cessation of the intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings confirm the results of former studies evaluating the short-term effects of multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs. In addition, our data demonstrate that well-balanced outpatient rehabilitation programs may induce persistent improvements in muscle strength, pain, function and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, karin.pieber@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Karin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pieber
authors.forename: Malvina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Herceg
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Quittan
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Csapo
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Guenther F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Wiesinger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D053580:Muscle Strength; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012008:Recurrence; D055070:Resistance Training; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome