title: The effectiveness of a back school program in lowerlimb amputees: a randomized controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A few studies have been carried out in lower limb amputees (LLAs) and they examined the incidence of and reasons for low back pain. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a back school program in LLAs with mechanical low back pain (MLBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty male unilateral transfemoral amputees with MLBP were randomly allocated into two groups. A back school program was applied to Group 1 over 2 weeks. A booklet for home use was given to each participant in Group 2. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale. Spinal flexibility measurements were obtained. For the assessment of back pain-related disability, the Oswestry Disability Index was used. Patients were assessed at baseline, at month 1, and at month 3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the month 1 assessment, a reduction in pain intensity and disability, and increase in spinal flexibility measurements were detected in Group 1 only (P < 0.05). At the month 3 assessment, there were improvements in all measured parameters in both groups(P < 0.05). Group 1 had better results in all parameters compared with Group 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The back school program, combined with an exercise program, decreased pain and disability and improved the spinal flexibility significantly in LLAs with MLBP.
authors: Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Bahar
authors: B
authors: Anaforoğlu
authors: Department of Prosthetics-Orthotics and Biomechanics, Institute of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Fatih
authors: F
authors: Erbahçeci
authors: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors: Mehmet Atıf Erol
authors: MA
authors: Aksekili
mesh_terms: D000674:Amputees; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Low back pain; amputee; back school; exercise; physiotherapy