EFFECTS OF BALANCE TRAINING EXERCISE ON PAIN INTENSITY AND DISABILITY IN CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN INDIVIDUALS: A CLINICAL TRIAL

Background: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) has been the leading cause of disability globally for at least three decades. Totally, 10% to 20% of people who experience acute lower back pain episodes often develop CLBP. In CLBP, there is an altered sensorimotor pathway which impairs body the balance. There are lacunae in studies prescribing balance exercise to CLBP individuals. This study aims to determine the effects of balance exercises on pain intensity, back physical performance, trunk extensor muscle endurance, and disability in CLBP individuals. Methods: A qualified therapist unaware of the study assessed all outcome measures (Visual Analogue scale — VAS, Oswestry Disability Index — ODI, Back Performance Scale — BPS, Biering Sorenson test — BST) at baseline, end of 4th week, and 8th week. All participants underwent balance exercise intervention for 30 min/day, 3 days a week, for 8 weeks. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed at [Formula: see text]<0.05. Results: Out of 65 screened participants, 40 (24 females, 16 males) fulfilled the study criteria and performed the balance exercise. The BPS score for back physical performance, VAS score for patient-reported pain intensity, BST value for trunk extensor muscle endurance, and ODI score for low back disability domains significantly improved after the balance exercise intervention at the end of 4th week and 8th week ([Formula: see text]<0.05). Conclusions: Balance exercise effectively improves back physical performance, reducing pain and back-related impairments. Further, the controlled trial is warranted to add the level of evidence.