Treatment of hips beneficial in patients with low back pain
(HealthDay)—For individuals presenting with a primary complaint of mechanical low back pain (LBP), prescriptive treatment of the hips seems beneficial in addition to treatment of the lumbar spine, according to a study published online Jan. 27 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Michael Bade, P.T., Ph.D., from the University of Colorado in Aurora, and colleagues conducted an objective study involving 84 patients with a primary complaint of mechanical LBP. Participants were randomized to pragmatic treatment of the lumbar spine only (LBP; 39 patients), based on published clinical guidelines, or pragmatic treatment of the lumbar spine and prescriptive treatment of bilateral hips (LBP + HIP; 45 patients), involving use of three hip exercises and three mobilization techniques. Outcome measures included the Modified Oswestry Disability Index, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, a global rating of change (GRoC) score, the patient acceptable symptom state, and patient satisfaction, assessed at baseline, two weeks, and at discharge.
The researchers observed significant between-group differences in GRoC and patient satisfaction favoring the LBP + HIP group at two weeks. Significant differences were seen on the Modified Oswestry Disability Index, numeric pain rating scale, GRoC, and patient satisfaction favoring the LBP + HIP group at discharge.
"Our findings suggest that a prescriptive treatment of the hips may be of clinical value to individuals presenting with the primary complaint of mechanical LBP," the authors write.
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