Background

Chronic musculoskeletal pain increases an individual's risk of developing many chronic diseases and the risk of all-cause early mortality. There is irrefutable evidence supporting the role of physical activity (PA) in reducing these risks. Sustaining changes to PA behaviours is challenging and efforts are needed to understand the barriers and facilitators of change. Understanding these factors is a vital step in developing behaviour change interventions.

Background and purpose

To identify methods used to measure free living sedentary behaviour in people with back pain and review the validity and reliability of identified measures.

Aims/background

Current treatment recommendations advocate various exercise modalities for people with chronic Low Back Pain (cLBP)1. Walking appears to represent an inexpensive and readily accessible activity for a range of individuals, including those who were previously sedentary. However, the effectiveness of such interventions are uncertain in cLBP.

Background and purpose

Sleep disturbance is a prevalent symptom in people with chronic low back pain (CLBP >12 weeks), but there is currently no knowledge of the effectiveness of physiotherapy for this problem. This study evaluated the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial (RCT) exploring the effects of physiotherapy on sleep disturbance in CLBP [Current controlled trial ISRCTN 54009836].

Background and Purpose: Current clinical guidelines recommend supervised exercise as a first-line treatment in the management of low back pain (LBP). To date studies have not used objective forms of measuring changes in free-living physical activity (FLPA). The aim of this study was to compare FLPA between two groups who received either supervised exercise and auricular acupuncture (EAA) or exercise alone (E).

Methods: 51 patients with non-specific LBP [mean±SD=42.8±12.4 years] wore an accelerometer for 7 days at baseline, end of the intervention (week 8) and follow up (week 25). FLPA variables were extracted: % time (hours) spent in postures; daily step count and cadence. Data were analysed using SPSS (v15). Repeated measures ANCOVA were performed using a mixed linear model.

Results: There was no difference in daily step count between the two groups at any time point (E, mean±SD, week 1, 8197±2187; week 8, 8563±2438, week 25, 8149±2800; EAA, mean±SD, week 1, 8103±1942; week 8, 8010±2845, week 25, 8139±1480, p=0.9) or cadence. No differences in postures were noted, apart from time sitting/lying which was shorter at week 25 in the E group (p=0.006).

Conclusions & Implications: Supervised exercise classes, with or without acupuncture, do not produce changes in FLPA in the short term or longer term in people with LBP. This suggests more effective ways should be sought to encourage the patient to incorporate activity into their daily lives. These findings have informed the design of two walking intervention trials for LBP patients.

Conflict of Interest: None

Sources of Funding: Research and Development Office, Northern Ireland, Strategic Priority Fund, Department of Employment and Learning, Northern Ireland.

Background & Purpose: Clinical guidelines support physical activity for people with chronic low back pain (CLBP); walking is an ideal form of physical activity as it is easy to do, requires no special skills and is achievable by virtually all ages with little risk of injury but there are no current evidence-based structured walking programmes (WP) for this population. The purpose of this study was to develop a WP for CLBP patients in preparation for a proposed randomized controlled trial.

Methods: An 8-week structured WP was developed using Intervention Mapping (IM) principles:

literature review,

Results: Both the CLBP patients and physiotherapists interviewed endorsed walking as a suitable form of physical activity, and identified possible barriers as fear avoidance, exacerbation of pain, behavioural change, motivation, time, personal safety and adverse weather. The pilot study found 90% compliance with the WP. Descriptive analysis of change scores showed improvements at 8-weeks in all self reported outcomes and objectively measured physical activity and functional capacity.

Conclusion: Intervention Mapping was successfully used to develop a WP intervention for chronic LBP, the efficacy of which is being evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.