Home therapies to improve disability, activity, and quality of life in military personnel with subacute low back pain: Secondary outcome analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Laura A Talbot; Vanessa J Ramirez; Lee Webb; Christopher Morrell; Earl J Metter

doi:10.1016/j.outlook.2022.08.007

Home therapies to improve disability, activity, and quality of life in military personnel with subacute low back pain: Secondary outcome analysis of a randomized controlled trial

Nurs Outlook. 2022 Nov-Dec;70(6 Suppl 2):S136-S145. doi: 10.1016/j.outlook.2022.08.007.

Authors

Laura A Talbot¹, Vanessa J Ramirez², Lee Webb², Christopher Morrell³, Earl J Metter⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN. Electronic address: ltalbot@uthsc.edu.
² La Pointe Health Clinic, Physical Therapy, Fort Campbell, KY.
³ Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, MD.
⁴ Department of Neurology, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN.

PMID: 36585060
DOI: 10.1016/j.outlook.2022.08.007

Abstract

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is an urgent military health concern with implications for fitness, quality of life (QoL) and disability.

Purpose: This secondary outcome analysis from a randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to determine if the addition of neuromuscular electrical stimulation core strength training (NMES) or progressive exercise (PEP)in conjunction with primary care management (PCM) was more effective than PCM alone.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial (RCT assigned 128 service members to the three intervention groups. The outcomes included changes in perceived disability (Oswestry Disability Index), health-related quality of life (SF-12v2), pain during activity (Clinical Back Pain Questionnaire), and daily steps walked in service members with subacute LBP.

Findings: Over a 9-week intervention, perceived disability, SF-12v2 physical component summary, and activity associated with pain improved in all groups. Home therapies were helpful to reduce perceived disability, QoL and pain during activity in service members with subacute LBP.

Discussion: These non-pharmacological options provide other home-managed approaches for those in the subacute LBP phase.

Keywords: Core exercise; Disability; Neuromusculoskeletal stimulation; Physical activity; Primary care management; Quality of life, military; Subacute low back pain.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Disabled Persons*
Exercise
Humans
Low Back Pain* / therapy
Military Personnel*
Quality of Life
Treatment Outcome