Purpose:
Pathological changes in the disc or discopathy cause pain and changes in the abdominal muscle strength and endurance of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of eight weeks of functional pattern training on pain, abdominal muscle strength and endurance in female patients with lumbar discopathy.
Methods:
This study was a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test and post-test design with the participation of two control and experimental groups. The statistical population of the present study consisted of all women with low back pain aged 30 to 45 years living in Isfahan who had a score between 3 and 6. Thirty people from the aforementioned population were selected purposively and conveniently based on the inclusion criteria and then, based on the pain score in the pre-test, they were divided into two groups of 15: experimental (age: 39.53±1.10 years) and control (age: 41.40 ± 1.16 years). The experimental samples performed their respective exercise protocol for 8 weeks, three sessions per week. Before and after the training period, pain, abdominal strength and endurance of female patients were measured using the Quebec questionnaire, digital hand-held dynamometer and Sit-up flexion test (60 degree Sit-up) respectively. Data were analyze Covariance test at a significance level of 0.05.
Results:
Regarding pain, after controlling for the effect of pre-test scores, covariance results showed that there was a significant difference between groups in pain scores (η2=0/737, p=0/001, F_(1,27)=497/75), strength (η2=0/456, p=0/001, F_(1,27)=22/663) and abdominal function endurance (η2=0/870, p=0/003, F_(1,27)=180/995). Regarding pain, the high effect size (η²) indicated that 75% of the changes in pain were due to the difference between the two groups Regarding abdominal muscle strength and endurance, the high effect size (η²) indicated that strength (46% of the variation) and abdominal muscle endurance (86%) were due to differences between the two groups. Therefore, the exercises in the experimental group were more effective than the control group.
Conclusion:
The present study showed that the exercises were effective in the experimental group regarding pain, abdominal muscle strength and endurance in female patients; but no significant difference was observed in the control group. Therefore, sports rehabilitation therapists can use the results of this study to improve female patients with lumbar discopathy.