Effects of Aquatic Therapy in Individual with Low Back Pain – A Literature Review

<p><em><span>Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition that has a significant impact on people's quality of life and productivity. In recent years, aquatic therapy has emerged as a potential non-invasive technique aimed at improving disability and decreasing pain intensity, making it a popular choice in rehabilitation settings. This literature review seeks to assess the effectiveness of aquatic therapy for reducing disability and pain to provide insights that can guide clinical practice while promoting better outcomes for patients, especially in preventing LBP. The review follows PRISMA guidelines, involving a comprehensive search of randomized controlled trials published between January 2014 and July 2024 across databases such as PEDro, PubMed, and Google Scholar. To ensure the quality of the studies included, the PEDro scale was used to evaluate the risk of bias. The initial search across two databases yielded 25 articles, of which 2 were duplicates and excluded. Applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 9 articles were selected. Full-text access was acquired for 5 of these articles. After assessing eligibility, 2 articles were deemed suitable for inclusion. Consequently, the study utilized a total of 2 articles. Findings suggest that aquatic therapy may contribute to reducing low back pain and disability in LBP patients. Some studies show the superiority of aquatic therapy over other modalities, while other studies show minimal differences compared to other exercise or control groups. While further research, especially with larger sample sizes and standardized protocols, is recommended to support this evidence, the current findings suggest potential benefits of aquatic therapy. Overall, aquatic therapy can be an effective intervention to reduce disability and pain, and overall improve quality of life if applied correctly and for an adequate period of time</span></em></p>