Effectiveness of the back school and mckenzie techniques in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Abstract

BackgroundChronic low back pain is a highly prevalent condition, which is associated with high direct and indirect costs to the society. Although this condition is highly prevalent, it is still extremely difficult to treat. Two potentially useful treatments for patients with chronic low back pain are called the McKenzie and Back School treatment programs. These programs have good biological plausibility, are widely available and have a modest cost. Although these treatments are already available for patients, the evidence that supports their use is largely based on low quality methodological studies. Therefore, a high-quality randomised controlled trial is required to compare, for the first time, the effectiveness of these treatments in patients with chronic low back pain.Methods/designOne hundred and forty-eight patients will be randomly allocated to a four-week treatment program based upon the McKenzie or Back School principles. Clinical outcomes (pain intensity, disability, quality of life, and trunk flexion range of motion) will be obtained at follow-up appointments at 1, 3 and 6 months after randomisation. The data will be collected by an assessor who will be blinded to the group allocation.DiscussionThis will be the first study aimed to compare the McKenzie and Back School approaches in patients with chronic low back pain. The results of this trial may help in the decision-making process of allied health providers for the treatment of chronic low back pain and reduce the health-related costs of this condition.Trial RegistrationACTRN12610000435088

Effects of two physical therapy interventions in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain: feasibility of a randomized controlled trial

“…This feasibility study was conducted between July and September 2010 in the Physical Therapy Clinic of the Uni- 11 . This manuscript presents a feasibility study of this randomized controlled trial that is currently in progress.…”

Lumbopelvic Stabilization Exercises and McKenzie Method in Low Back Pain Due to Disc Protrusion. A Blind Randomized Clinical Trial

“…The McKenzie method, also called Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) (8), emphasizes an examination/ treatment that incorporates repeated spinal movements (10,11). The patient's response to these repeated movements determines a classification and a preferred direction for therapeutic exercise (11)(12)(13)(14). Postural correction and maintenance of normal lordosis are an integral part of the McKenzie program, and treatment programs generally emphasize the performance of repeated lumbar movements for the effective management of specific syndromes (13).…”

“…The patient's response to these repeated movements determines a classification and a preferred direction for therapeutic exercise (11)(12)(13)(14). Postural correction and maintenance of normal lordosis are an integral part of the McKenzie program, and treatment programs generally emphasize the performance of repeated lumbar movements for the effective management of specific syndromes (13). This method considers the patient's symptomatic and mechanical response to repeated movements and sustained postures for evaluation and treatment (8,14).…”

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“…The aim of this exercise is to elicit a pattern of pain responses, called centralization. The aims of the therapy are: reducing pain, centralization of symptoms and the complete recovery of pain [7]- [9].…”