Objective: To compare the short-term outcomes of active individual therapy (AIT) with those of a functional restoration program (FRP).
Design: Prospective randomized controlled study.
Setting: Two rehabilitation centers and private ambulatory physiotherapy facilities.
Participants: One hundred thirty-two adults with chronic low back pain. Fifty-one percent of patients on sick leave or out of work (mean duration, 180d in the 2y before treatment).
Interventions: For 5 weeks, FRP (at 25h/wk) or AIT (at 3h/wk).
Main outcome measures: Trunk flexibility, back flexor, and extensor endurance (Ito and Sorensen tests), general endurance, pain intensity, Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ) scores, daily activities, anxiety depression, social interest, and work and leisure activities, and self-reported improvement (work ability, resumption of sport and leisure activities).
Results: All outcome measures improved after treatment except endurance in AIT. There was no between-group difference for pain intensity or DPQ daily activities or work and leisure activities scores. Better results were observed in FRP for all other outcome measures. There was a significant effect of treatment and the initial value for the gain of the Sorensen score with a treatment or initial value interaction; a significant effect of treatment and initial value on the gains of Ito, endurance, and DPQ social interest and anxiety depression scores, with no treatment or initial value interaction; and a significant effect of initial value but not treatment for the gains of DPQ daily activities and work and leisure activities scores.
Conclusions: Low-cost ambulatory AIT is effective. The main advantage of FRP is improved endurance. We speculate that this may be linked to better self-reported work ability and more frequent resumption of sports and leisure activities.