جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « کمردرد مزمن » در نشریات گروه « پزشکی »

 Concerning the effectiveness of training on people with chronic low back pain, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of postural restoration institute (PRI) training on lower limb kinematics during walking in middle-aged subjects with discogenic low back pain.

 In this prospective observational quasi-experimental study, 42 people participated in three groups: people without low back pain (healthy group, n=14) and people with low back pain in two groups (intervention group, n=14; and control group, n=14). Kinematic data were recorded by 7 Qualisys cameras with a frequency of 100 Hz in the pretest and post-test. Analysis of variance with repeated measures was used in SPSS software version 23 at a significance level 0.05.

 The results showed that people with low back pain in the intervention and control groups walk with a slower velocity, lower cadence, and shorter step length than healthy individuals for both right and left limbs. However, after the PRI training, the intervention group showed a significant increase in those three variables. Furthermore, there were significant differences between the healthy group and the two groups of intervention and control in the range of motion (ROM) for the pelvis in the sagittal and frontal planes, the right hip joint in the horizontal plane, the right ankle in the frontal plane, the left hip joint in the sagittal and horizontal planes as well as the left ankle in the sagittal plane. After applying PRI, the differences between the healthy and the intervention groups regarding the pelvis ROM on the sagittal plane, the right ankle ROM on the sagittal plane, the left hip joint ROM on the frontal plane, and the left knee ROM on the sagittal plane were minimized and became insignificant.

 The present study’s findings confirmed the effectiveness of using PRI training in improving biomechanical indicators, such as the range of joint movements and increasing the velocity and step length of walking, to treat and manage the performance of people with discogenic chronic low back pain.

Chronic back pain is one of the most common chronic pains which various methods have been proposed to manage and reduce pain, including participating in sports rehabilitation programs. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of specialized yoga exercises on pain, functional capacity and range of motion of women with non-specific chronic back pain.

The statistical sample was 50 women suffering from non-specific chronic low back pain in Amol city, who were selected by available sampling method and randomly assigned to two experimental groups (25 people) and control group (25 people). The tools used in this research were McGill Pain Questionnaire, 6-minute fast walking functional test and waist flexion range measurement by Kinovea software before and 48 hours after the last session of yoga exercises. The experimental group performed specialized yoga exercises for 24 sessions of 60 minutes. The research design was a pre-test-post-test with a control group, and univariate covariance analysis (ANCOA) was used to analyze the data.

The obtained results showed that this yoga training program can reduce the pain of women with chronic low back pain (p≤ 0.05) and improve functional capacity (p ≤ 0.001) and increase the range of motion of the back (p ≤ 0.001).

Due to the simultaneous use of mental and strengthening exercises, specialized yoga exercises can improve psychological factors such as fear of movement, fear of pain, and subsequently improve the range of motion of the back and improve the functional capacity of patients.

Chronic low back pain is one of the most common and costly musculoskeletaldisorders in societies and is an important clinical and socio-economic epidemic, mostly in industry andnon-industry. The aim of this study was to a systematic review of the effectiveness of exercise protocolson lumbar proprioception in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

From internal and external search engines, including Scopus, Semantic Scholar,Google Scholar, Pubmed, ISC, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, and Doaj with time limit 2010 to 2021 and the keywordsexercises, proprioception, non-specific, and chronic low back pain, the present study was doneusing PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyzes).

Results :

Nine articles were selected based on inclusion criteria. These studies mainly focused on systematicreview effectiveness of exercise protocols on sensation and low back pain in people with non-specificchronic low back pain.

According to the research reviewed in the present study, it seems that exercise rehabilitationprotocols activate, strengthen, maintain, and increase the central region of the body, especially deepmuscles, particularly the multifidus and transverse abdomen, by retraining the pelvic lumbar region. Thediaphragm and diagonal of the abdomen and pelvic floor, which play a role in the important segmentalstability of the lumbar spine, improve the sense of depth and pain in patients with chronic nonspecificlow back pain.

Studies have shown that carrying and holding objects requires the coordination of lower limb and trunk muscles, and is considered as a risk factor in causing low back pain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of activity of selected trunk and thigh muscles in forward and backward bending with different loads in people with and without chronic low back pain (CLBP).

In a semi experimental study, 31 subjects in two groups, 15 people with CLBP and 16 healthy people participated voluntarily. Subjects performed forward and backward bending in 4 positions without applying external load with 2, 5, and 10% of body mass during 6 seconds (2 seconds standing, 2 seconds bending forward and 2 seconds back). The electrical activity of eight muscles was recorded using an EMG device.

The results showed that the external load significantly affects the level of muscle activity. Also, there was a significant difference between the two groups as level of activity was higher in CLBP group. Also, the amount of load had a significant effect on the level of activity of different muscles in the groups, as the effect of 5% body mass load on the level of activity of rectus abdominis, internal oblique and multifidus was higher in CLBP group. Also, the effect of a load of 10% body mass on the level of activity of external oblique, thoracic erector spinae, lumbar erector spinae, and biceps femoris were higher in CLBP group. In addition, the effect of a load of 10% body mass on the level of activity of the gluteus maximus was higher in the healthy group.

In order to prevent muscle fatigue and ultimately to prevent the development or spread of pain, it is recommended to strengthen the muscles that had the highest level of activity when the external load increased.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought many psychological consequences for patients with chronic low back pain. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on emotional regulation and psychological distress in patients with chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety.

This was a semi-experimental study with a pre-test-post-test design and a control group. The statistical population included patients with chronic low back pain in Tehran in 2021. The study sample included 30 patients with chronic low back pain who were selected using the convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned in to two experimental and control groups. The collection tools included COVID-19 anxiety (Alipour et al (2020)), emotional regulation (Gross and John (2003)), and psychological distress (Lovibond and Lovibond (1995)) questionnaires. The experimental group received 8 ninety-minute sessions of therapy based on acceptance and commitment, but the control group did not receive any intervention.Research data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), normality (Shapiro-Wilk test), multivariate covariance analysis, univariate covariance analysis test in Mancova text, and Levene's, Box's and Bartlett's chi-square tests at a significance level of 0.05 through SPSS 24 software.

The results of the present study showed that acceptance and commitment therapy has significantly increased emotion regulation (reevaluation and suppression) and reduced psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) in patients suffering from chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety (p > 0.05).

Based on the findings, it can be concluded that acceptance and commitment therapy has been able to reduce the psychological problems of patients with chronic low back pain and COVID-19 anxiety. For this purpose, it is suggested to hold workshops and develop programs by psychologists and pain specialists for patients with chronic low back pain.

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common spine disorders, which is seen in 65-80% of people. Knowing the normal patterns of spine and pelvic parameters is very helpful in determining the susceptible subjects for CLBP.

This study was conducted in healthy people during April 2017 until April 2018 in Golestan hospital of Ahvaz. Inclusion criteria include; Age group 20-65 years, no history of surgery, spine disorders, and having normal radiographs were performed. People who have complained of back pain in the last three months, neuromuscular disease, lumbosacral anomalies, kyphosis and obvious scoliosis, history of spine surgery and vertebral fracture, were excluded. A 36-inch radiology stereotype was prepared in the standing position. Pelvic and spine parameters that were investigated in this research included the following, Pelvic incidence, Pelvic tilt, Sagittal Vertical Axis, T9 Sagittal Angle, Thoracic Kyphosis, Lumbar Lordosis, and Sacral Slope. All data were analyzed with SPSS software, version 24 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

50 participants including 27(54%) men and 23(46%) women with an average age of 33±12.5 years and BMI of 25±5.5 kg/m2 were examined. After examining the vertebral and pelvic parameters, it was found that PI is significantly higher in women than in men (P=0.02). It was also found that with increasing age, the amount of Pelvic incidence also increases (P=0.043), so that in people over 60 years of age, the amount of pelvic incidence is significantly higher than other people (P<0.05). Further analyzes showed that BMI has a direct effect on the amount of Thoracic Kyphosis (P=0.03) and Lumbar Lordosis (P=0.04). Thus, the highest amount of Lumbar Lordosis and Thoracic Kyphosis was seen in people with BMI 30-34.9 Kg/m2.

The findings of the present study showed that spine and pelvis indices have an important effect on the occurrence of CLBP. Hence, it is highly recommended to check these parameters in asymptomatic people, especially in older people.

According to evidence, sports activities and vitamin D, in addition to their role in developing physical health, have a considerable impact on cognitive, behavioral and mood disorders. In the present study, the effectiveness of core stabilization exercises and vitamin D consumption on quality of life (QL) and mental health (MH) of women with chronic low back pain was investigated.

This clinical trial study was performed on women with chronic low back pain. First, 48 patients were selected by available sampling method, then randomly divided into 4 groups: control, exercise, vitamin D and combined (exercise+vitamin D). Core stabilization exercises were performed by training and combined groups for 8 weeks, and vitamin D and combined groups took vitamin D (50,000 IU) weekly. SF-36 QL and general health (GHQ) questionnaires were used to collect data. Data analysis was performed using paired t-test and  one-way analysis of variance at a significance level of P< 0.05.

Vitamin D levels were lower than normal in all subjects. The QL and MH of women with low back pain improved after exercise, vitamin D intake, and combined intervention. The combined intervention was associated with a greater increase in QL compared to the other two therapeutic interventions and the development of MH compared to vitamin D intake.

It seems that therapies using core stabilization exercises, vitamin D intake or combination intervention can help people with low back pain and low levels of vitamin D in improving QL and MH.

Background & Aim:

Low back pain refers to a pain felt in the lumbar and sacrum regions of the spine. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of movement pattern exercises on plantar pressure variables in people with chronic low back pain during walking.

Materials & Methods:

The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design along with a control group. The study subjects, who were selected from the clients of the health and wellness center of Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran, were randomly divided into 10 people with chronic back pain (experimental group) and 10 people with back pain (control group). The subjects of the experimental group performed movement pattern exercises for 6 weeks, but the control group did not perform any exercises during this period of 6 weeks. Plantar pressure values were recorded during pre-test and post-test by foot scan device (sampling rate: 300 Hz). Two-way analysis of variance was used for statistical analysis of data. All analysis was done at significant level of 0.05 with SPSS 22 software.

Results showed that the peak of the vertical component at the heel contact (p = 0.009) and the vertical loading rate (p = 0.013) in the experimental group during post-test was lower compared to the pre-test. Pairwise comparison showed that the peak force in the second metatarsal bone in the experimental group was lower in the post-test compared to the pre-test (p=0.018).

Objective (s):

 Chronic low back pain is one of the most common chronic diseases that influence people's health and quality of life. The first line of non-medical management of chronic low back pain is psychological interventions. The current scoping review aimed to determine psychological interventions usually are used to treat chronic low back pain.

This scoping review examined studies published in English language with related keywords including ‘chronic low back pain’, ‘cognitive behavior therapy’, ‘behavioural/behavioral therapy’, ‘mindfulness’, ‘mediation’, ‘stress reduction’, ‘biofeedback’, ‘pain education’, ‘counselling’ and ‘acceptance and commitment therapy’ in PubMed. The data were extracted and tabulated to summarize evidence. In addition, information on instruments used to measure pain were addressed.

In all 156 papers was retrieved. Of these, 21 papers fulfilled the inclusion criteria. 19 articles out of 21 articles had a control group. The findings of the study showed that cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy, mindfulness and biofeedback were used more than other types of interventions. The results of cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral therapy and mindfulness interventions confirmed their effectiveness, but using biofeedback intervention did not show certain result in the treatment of chronic back pain. The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) was the most widely used instrument for pain assessment.

The findings showed that psychological interventions were effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain (especially back pain with psychosomatic causes). In cases where chronic low back pain has a specific cause, psychological intervention alone is not effective and should be used in combination with clinical interventions or other non-medical interventions such as rehabilitation.

Musculoskeletal discomforts are one of the most common occupational diseases of nurses. In this regard, the present study aims to investigate the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy on anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia in nurses with chronic low back pain.

This was a semi-experimental study with pretest-posttest and a control group. The statistical population included nurses suffering from chronic low back pain in Tehran in 2019. The sample included 30 nurses with low back pain selected using available sampling method. They were randomly assigned into case and control groups. Data collection tools included anxiety sensitivity and alexithymia questionnaires. Accordingly, the experimental group received eight 90-minute sessions of therapy based on acceptance and commitment, but the control group did not receive any intervention.

The results of the present study indicated that treatment based on acceptance and commitment in nurses with chronic low back pain significantly reduced anxiety sensitivity (physical, cognitive and social) and alexithymia (difficulty in identifying emotions, describing emotions, and external thinking) (P< 0.01).

Findings reveal that treatment based on acceptance and commitment has been able to reduce the psychological problems of nurses with chronic low back pain. For this purpose, it is suggested that psychologists and pain specialists hold workshops and make plans for nurses with chronic low back pain.

Non-specific chronic low back pain (LBP) is the most common problem of spinal column disorder and musculoskeletal problems. Many evidence has demonstrated that exercise and corrective exercise is a positive intervention on decrease pain; but according to the relationship between increased lumbar lordosis angle and low back pain; it seems to be very important to implement the study about pain changes and lumbar lordosis angle. Furthermore, movement control impairment is one of the most problem related with low back pain. The aim of current systematic review was to evaluate the effect of exercise on pain, lumbar lordosis angle and movement control in participants with non-specific chronic low back pain.

A data base search within the all of times was performed, using Google Scholar, PubMed, The PEDro, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Trip Database and Web of Science systems. Studies investigating the effect of types of exercise in pain, lumbar lordosis angle and movement control in patient with LBP were included. PEDro quality scale was used for the assessment of included studies.

Eleven out of 128 relevant articles had our search entrance criterions, which were chosen for this review (score higher than 5 on the PEDro scale). There was a large difference between various studies base on their methodology, outcome measures, simple size, procedure, etc. However, results from studies have verified that exercise causes decrease pain, decrease lumbar lordosis angle and increase movement control in patient with LBP; and exercise effective on decrease pain in pregnant women, but was not effect on lumbar lordosis angle in pregnant women. Also studies that shown decreased lumbar lordosis angle after exercises, was more effectively on more decreased LBP in patient.

It is likely that exercise decrease pain, lumbar lordosis angle and increase movement control in patient with low back pain; also exercise can decrease LBP in pregnant women, especially in the last months of pregnancy.

Low back pain is a common debilitating condition and an important clinical and socio-economic issue in most industrial and non-industrial communities. There are several methods for low back pain rehabilitation, but achieving shorter, simpler methods is a requirement of today's industrialized societies. The aim of this study was to review the effect of exercise rehabilitation protocols on pain and functional disability in people with nonspecific low back pain.

Literature search between years of 2010 and 2021 and from domestic search engines such as Iran Medex, ISC, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Doaj, Google Scholar using the keywords including chronic low back pain, rehabilitation, protocol, training, pain and functional disability were used to find related articles.

A total of 16 high quality articles were selected for inclusion criteria. These studies mainly led to the impact of the protocol. The training sections focused on pain and functional disability in people with non-specific chronic low back pain.

According to the studies reviewed in the present study, it seems that exercise rehabilitation protocols that activate and strengthen the muscles of the central region of the body, especially the multifidus, supraspinatus, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles, improve pain. Functional disability is nonspecific in people with chronic low back pain.

Low back pain has negative effects on different aspects of the live. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of Alexander technique on quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.

This study is a single-blinded clinical trial that was performed on 80 patients with chronic low back pain in Shahid Beheshti hospital in Kashan in 2020. Patients were simple randomly assigned to control and experimental groups. In the experimental group, Alexander technique training was performed for 12 weeks, three sessions per week. The control group did not receive any intervention. The two groups completed the quality of life questionnaire before, immediately and one month after the intervention. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, Chi-square and independent and paired t-test in SPSS v=22 software.

The mean score of total quality of life and some of its dimensions (general health, physical health, social activity, physical pain, activity limitation) immediately after the sessions and one month after the intervention were significant in the experimental group (P<0.05). However, this difference in the dimensions of mental health, the role of mental health in activities and vitality was not significant (P>0.05). The results of repeated measures ANOVA showed that the mean total score of quality of life of patients in the experimental group increased significantly over time (P<0.05).

The results showed that teaching the Alexander technique increases the total score of quality of life and some of its dimensions in patients with chronic low back pain.

Back pain is one of the most pervasive chronic pains. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy in patients with chronic low back pain on pain self- efficacy and quality of life.

The present study is a pre-test, post-test, and follow-up with a control group which was done from February 2020 to March 2021. All patients with chronic low back pain who were referred to the specialty ward of Al-Zahra Hakimieh Clinic in Tehran, Iran were the statistical population of this study. The study population consisted of 45 people who were divided into three groups of 15 people through purposive sampling and random selection. The treatment method for the first group was cognitive-behavioral therapy while acceptance and commitment therapy was done for the second group and no training was considered for the control group. The World Health Organization's questionnaires of demographic information, pain self-efficacy and quality of life were the tools used in the study. The research hypotheses were specifically investigated using univariate covariance analysis.

45 patients (33 men and 12 women) participated with a mean age of 41.18±14.09 years. The F-ratio of univariate analysis of covariance was significant for the difference of all dependent variables between the experimental groups and the control group (p<0.001). To compare the effectiveness of two treatments on pain self-efficacy and quality of life, the results of the Bonferroni post hoc test were used. The difference between the mean of cognitive-behavioral therapy group and acceptance and commitment therapy group on pain self- efficacy and quality of life in both post-test and follow-up stages was not significant (p>0.05). Therefore, the effectiveness of the two treatments on pain self- efficacy and quality of life in these patients was the same.

Both cognitive-behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy are effective in increasing pain self-efficacy and quality of life among patients with chronic low back pain, but there is no significant difference between the two therapies.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of 4 weeks of aquatic exercise prehabilitation pre-surgery along with eight weeks of exercise rehabilitation after laminectomy surgery on pain and core muscles electromyography in women with a chronic low back.

A total of 30 females with CLBP candidates for laminectomy surgery enrolled in this single-blind randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly allocated into the intervention (n=15, Mean±SD age 46.2±5.45) and control (n=15, Mean±SD age 46.26±5.39). The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to measure pain, and a surface Electromyography (EMG) device was also used to measure selective core muscles activity of participants. The intervention group participated in 4 weeks of aquatic therapy as a rehabilitation program pre laminectomy surgery and eight weeks of aquatic therapy as a rehabilitation program after surgery. The control group participated in the same program only eight weeks after surgery as a routine rehabilitation program. All tests and measurement procedures were done for all participants, pre-surgery and at the end of 8 weeks rehabilitation.

The findings of the presents study indicated that prehabilitation program pre laminectomy surgery in women with CLBP significantly reduced levels of pain (p<0.0001) and increased muscles strength or EMG of selective core muscles (p<0.0001) of the intervention group compared to the control group at the end of the program.

In general, the statistical analysis concluded that pre-rehabilitation exercises as a hydrotherapy protocol had significant pain intensity and main muscle activity. Therefore, a comprehensive rehabilitation program for women with chronic low back pain has more beneficial effects than a routine rehabilitation program for these patients. Therefore it is recommended it is most helpful if the healthcare system in Iran includes a rehabilitation program as part of a comprehensive program for patients with CLBP. They are a candidate to have laminectomy surgery.

Chronic back pain is one of the most common problems in thehealth field, and finding a suitable treatment plan for the fasterrecovery of its patients has always been considered. The aimof the present study was to investigate the effect of centralmuscle stability exercises on the improvement of non-specificchronic back pain. The research was a semi-experimental typewith a pre-test-post-test design with a control group, and forits implementation, 30 people with non-specific chronic backpain were randomly assigned to two experimental and controlgroups, 15 people each. The experimental group underwentcentral muscle stability program exercises for 10 sessions. Theresults showed that the pain of the treated group decreasedsignificantly in the post-test phase (P<0.05). From the findingsof this research, it can be concluded that muscle stabilityexercises have a great effect in reducing the pain of patientswith chronic back pain. Therefore, it is suggested to considerthese exercises in the treatment plan of patients with chronicback pain.

Vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency is prevalent in patients with low back pain, while vitamin D deficiency links to chronic musculoskeletal pain and dyslipidemia. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of vitamin D with core stabilization exercise on lipid status in patients with chronic low back pain.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in women with chronic low back pain. First, 48 patients were selected using the availability sampling method, and then they were randomly divided into four groups: control, exercise, vitamin D, and exercise + vitamin D (combined). Exercise and combination groups performed eight weeks of core stabilization exercises with different levels of Vitamin D, and combined groups received 50,000 IU vitamin D per week. Serum markers of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and cholesterol-HDL were measured before and after the intervention. Data were analyzed by paired t-test, ANOVA, and Kruskal Wallis tests with a significant level of less than 0.05.

The results showed that 74.26% and 25.64% of the patients had deficiency and insufficient vitamin D, respectively. Also, eight weeks of research interventions were associated with a significant reduction in triglyceride levels, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and increased HDL cholesterol. In addition, the effect of the combined intervention was more significant in reducing triglycerides and cholesterol than exercise intervention and in lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol compared to the other two interventions (p < 0.05).

It seems exercise training, vitamin D intake, and a combination of these non-pharmacological interventions can improve lipid status in patients with chronic low back pain, but combination therapy is more effective.

Lumbar disc herniation is one of the most common types of low back pain and researchers are interested in novel exercises in treatment of this condition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of suspension exercises on electromyography in men with disc herniation.

Twenty two men with disc herniation in Rasht participated in this clinical trial in 2020 and were randomly divided into two groups of suspension exercises (n=12, age: 34.25±8.81, BMI: 24.02±01.7) and control (n=10, age: 34.4±6.67, BMI: 23.1±76.45). Before and after an intervention period, the electrical activity of rectus abdominis, internal and external oblique and erector spinae muscles were measured by electromyography and abdominal muscle strength was investigated using straight leg raising test. The intervention period consisted of 8 weeks of suspension exercises, while the control group was only followed up. Paired sample t-test and analysis of covariance were used for intragroup and intergroup comparisons, respectively.

Electromyography of four muscles and strength test showed significant improvements in post-test compared to pre-test in intervention group (P<0.05) while no significant change was observed in control group (P˃0.05). Patients who did suspension exercises were found with significant improvements in muscle electromyography compared to the control group (P<0.05), but no significant difference was observed in abdominal muscle strength test (P˃0.05).

In current study, suspension exercise improved core muscle activation and abdominal muscle strength, so, it could be considered in rehabilitation of low back pain caused by disc herniation.

Low back pain is one of the major costly health problems in many developed and developing countries which has many economic and social impacts. The aim of this study was to review the effect of core stability exercises on pain and functional disability in people with non-specific chronic low back pain.

Litraturesearches were conducted from 2014 to 2020 years from databases ofScopus, Semantic Scholar, Google Scholar, Pubmed, ISC, SID, Magiran, Irandoc, Doaj using keyword including exercises, core stability, pain, functional disability, non-specific, chronic low back pain. The present study was a systematic review (PRISMA).

A total of 11 articles were selected based on the criteria for entering the study. These studies mainly examined the effect of core stability exercises on pain and functional disability in people with non-specific chronic low back pain.

It seems that core stability exercises are effective intervention in pain rehabilitation and functional disability in people with non-specific chronic low back pain.

Nowadays, the prevalence of chronic low back pain is increasing in the world and vitamin D deficiency is associated with impaired neuromuscular function and chronic musculoskeletal pain. In addition, exercise therapy and selection of core stabilization exercise interventions have main roles in rehabilitation of these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of core stabilization exercises and vitamin D intake on the pain and functional disability levels in women with chronic non-specific low back pain.

This clinical trial study was performed by pre-test and post-test design. Initially, 48 women with chronic non-specific low back pain were selected by available sampling method and then randomly divided into control, exercise, vitamin D and exercise+vitamin D (combined) groups (12 subjects in each group). The exercise and combined groups performed 8 weeks of core stabilizing exercises. The vitamin D and combined groups received 50,000 IU vitamin D/week for 8 weeks. The severity of the pain and functional disability, before and after the interventions, were determined by visual analog scale of pain and Oswestry questionnaire, respectively. Data analysis was performed using Paired T-Test and ANOVA with the significance level of less than 0.05.

Eight weeks of core stabilizing exercises, vitamin D intake and the combined intervention were associated with a significant reduction (p<0.001) in pain (20.15%, 18.60% and 34.20%, respectively) and functional disability (48.35%, 44.26% and 51.81%, respectively) in women with chronic non-specific low back pain. In addition, combined intervention induced more reduction in the pain compared with two other interventions (p<0.001)

It seems that core stabilizing exercises, vitamin D intake, and the combination intervention can reduce the pain and improve the physical function in patients with chronic low back who have low levels of vitamin D. But combined intervention is associated with greater effectiveness in reducing the pain.