Therapeutic Effect between Physical Therapy Alone and Physical Therapy Combined with McKenzie Exercise In Low Back Pain Patients

Abstract

Low back pain is the common disease in population. Treatment with physical therapy alone and  physical  therapy combined with McKenzie exercise can reduce low back pain. This retrospective analytic study aimed  to compare the therapeutic effect between physical therapy alone and physical therapy combined with  McKenzie exercise in low back pain patients, in Buddhachinaraj Phitsanulok Hospital during April 2014 to  April 2016. These patients were divided in 2 groups, the first group underwent physical therapy alone and the other underwent physical therapy combined with McKenzie exercise. The results of treatment were  compared by Chi-square test, Mann Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed rank test with significant level at  0.05.There were 106 patients in first group and 98 patients in second group. There was no difference in sex,  ages and average pre-treatment pain score in both groups (p = 0.940, 0.156 and 0.430 respectively). The post- treatment pain scores in the physical therapy combined with McKenzie exercise group was lower than in  physical therapy alone group (p = 0.004). The reduction of pain scores between two groups was also  difference (p = 0.014). Nevertheless average post-treatment pain scores were decreased in both groups (p <  0.001 both groups). In conclusion, both physical therapy alone and physical therapy combined with McKenzie exercise are effective treatments for low back pain patient, but physical therapy combined with McKenzie  exercise is more effective.