Background:
Low back pain is the leading cause of disability, affecting the quality of life and work productivity.
It is the most common reason for seek medical help and advice.
Low back pain creates huge economical burden worldwide.
To date, most ( 90%) of low back pain cases are not clinically defined with no preferred medical treatment.
Objectives:
To prove that consulting using the "Stage of change" model for healthy lifestyle (daily physical activity, appropriate weight and smoking cessation) will lead to long term improvement of pain, disability and well-being parameters when compared to conventional Physical Therapy.
Hypothesis:
The intervention groups vs. control group (conventional Physical Therapy) will demonstrate that the following parameters will improve after: one year (3, 6 and 12 months), two and five years:
1) Pain reduction.
2) Less disability – improvement in daily activities.
3) Better feeling of health and well-being.
4) Increased and better compliance to daily sport activities.
5) BMI reduction.
6) Reduction of cigarette smoking.
7) Reduction in number of sick days.
8) Reduction of usage of anti-analgesics and anti-inflammatory medications. Reduction in number of visits to Physical Therapy clinics due to low back pain.
Methods:
The present Randomized intervention study that will include 300 healthy individuals, males and females aged 25-45 years old suffering from chronic or recurrent low back pain, with no radiation to the legs that were referred to Maccabi Health Fund Physical Therapy clinics in the Sharon district.
These individuals will be randomized to one of the following three groups:
1) Conventional Physical Therapy.
2) Conventional Physical Therapy + lifestyle consulting using the "Stage of Change" model.
3) Consulting using the "Stage of Change" model.
A Non-dependent observer will follow-up after the outcome parameters by phone calling to all study participants after one year (3, 6 and 12 months), two and five years following study initiation.
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