title: The Effect of Harmonic Technique vs End Range Loading Exercises on Pain and Disability in Patients With Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of end range loading (ERL) vs harmonic technique (HT) on patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen volunteer patients with LBP were randomly assigned to 2 groups based on a blocked randomization method with 7 patients in the HT group and 7 patients in the ERL group. The patients received 10 sessions of treatment for 5 sessions per week. Pain intensity and disability score were recorded using the numeric pain scale and Roland-Morris Disability questionnaire (RMQ), respectively, before and after the treatment period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although pain intensity (P = .02) and the RMQ score (P = .03) decreased in the HT technique group, no statistically significant change was found in the ERL group for the RMQ score (P > .05). The effect size for HT was .6 and .3 for numeric pain scale and RMQ, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This preliminary study showed that pain intensity and disability improved in subjects with chronic LBP in the HT group. More investigations with larger sample size are needed to clarify these findings.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Amir Massoud
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Arab
authors.affiliation: Student, PhD Candidate of Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Heidar
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Saadati
authors.affiliation: Instructor, Health & Sport Medicine Department, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Rahman
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sheikhhoseini
keywords: Disability evaluation; Exercise movement techniques; Low back pain