Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
An aerobic walking programme versus muscle strengthening programme for chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled
Ilana Shnayderman1, Michal Katz-Leurer
1Department of Physiotherapy, Maccabi Healthcare Services in Lod, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Objective:
To assess the effect of aerobic walking training as compared to active training, which includes muscle strengthening, on functional abilities among patients with chronic low back pain.
Design:
Randomized controlled clinical trial with blind assessors.
Setting:
Outpatient clinic.
Subjects:
Fifty-two sedentary patients, aged 18-65 years with chronic low back pain. Patients who were post surgery, post trauma, with cardiovascular problems, and with oncological disease were excluded.
Intervention:
Experimental 'walking' group: moderate intense treadmill walking; control 'exercise' group: specific low back exercise; both, twice a week for six weeks.
Main Measures:
Six-minute walking test, Fear-Avoidance Belief Questionnaire, back and abdomen muscle endurance tests, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Low Back Pain Functional Scale (LBPFS).
Results:
Significant improvements were noted in all outcome measures in both groups with non-significant difference between groups. The mean distance in metres covered during 6 minutes increased by 70.7 (95% confidence interval (CI) 12.3-127.7) in the 'walking' group and by 43.8 (95% CI 19.6-68.0) in the 'exercise' group. The trunk flexor endurance test showed significant improvement in both groups, increasing by 0.6 (95% CI 0.0-1.1) in the 'walking' group and by 1.1 (95% CI 0.3-1.8) in the 'exercise' group.
Conclusions:
A six-week walk training programme was as effective as six weeks of specific strengthening exercises programme for the low back.
