[Mobilizing or stabilizing exercise in degenerative disk disease in the lumbar region?]

Degenerative disc disease may affect younger and middle-aged people with a kind of premature disc degeneration. The majority of these low back pain patients are not candidates for a spinal fusion and are in need of a structured conservative treatment. In a controlled clinical trial, 27 low back pain patients (mean age 40 years, range 25-48) with a mean duration of symptoms of 7.4 years, were randomized to mobilizing (n = 12) or stabilizing (n = 15) daily half hour exercise for an eight weeks period. A clinical overall score (COS) based on pain intensity (VAS), physical signs, functional status (Oswestry) and analgetics was used as outcome criterion. The treatment results were best for the group undergoing stabilizing treatment. They achieved a 17% reduction in COS, compared to a 10% increase in the group undergoing mobilizing treatment (p = 0.02). These types of exercises are discussed in relation to the instability theory in disc degeneration.