Specific exercises to treat pregnancy-related low back pain in a South African population
Judith Kluge1, David Hall, Quinette Louw
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Stellenbosch University and Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. judykluge@sun.ac.za
Objective:
To investigate the effect of an exercise program, including specific stabilizing exercises, on pain intensity and functional ability in women with pregnancy-related low back pain.
Methods:
Fifty women between 16 and 24 weeks of pregnancy were recruited at Tygerberg and Paarl Hospitals, Western Cape, South Africa. Twenty-six women were randomized to a 10-week exercise program and 24 were randomized as controls.
Results:
Overall, the most frequent type of back pain experienced was lumbar pain (36 [72.0%]). Pain intensity (P=0.76) and functional ability (P=0.29) were comparable between the groups on study entry. In the study group, there was a significant improvement in pain intensity (P<0.01) and an improvement in functional ability (P=0.06) at the end of the study. In the control group, there were no significant changes in pain intensity (P=0.89) or functional ability (P=0.70) at the end of the study.
Conclusion:
A specific exercise program decreased back pain intensity and increased functional ability during pregnancy in South African women with lumbar and pelvic girdle pain.
