Effectiveness of classic physical therapy proposals for chronic non-specific low back pain: a literature review

Chronic low back pain is a pathological process that compromises the functionality and quality of life worldwide. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of classical physiotherapy in the management of non-specific chronic low back pain.

A literature search in English electronic databases was performed from November to December of 2015. Only those studies addressing chronic non-specific low back pain by manual therapy and different types of exercises methods were included, and those, which combined acute or subacute pain with systematic reviews and clinical practice guidelines, were excluded. Studies involving cognitive-behavioral approaches were also excluded.

487 studies were identified, 16 were analyzed and 10 were excluded. Of the 6 studies reviewed, 5 of them achieved a moderate quality and 1 of them was of a low quality. Back School exercises and McKenzie's method were all ineffective. Osteopathic spinal manipulation proved effective when performed on the lower back and the thoracic area but only immediately after it was received, and not in the medium or long term. Massages proved effective in the short term too, as well as the global postural reeducation although ultimately this study can be considered of a low methodological quality.

Based on the data obtained, classical physiotherapy proposals show ineffectiveness in the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain. More multidimensional studies are needed in order to achieve a better treatment of this condition, including the biopsychosocial paradigm.