The Effect of Suspension and Conventional Core Stability Exercises on Characteristics of Intervertebral Disc and Chronic Pain in Office Staff Due to Lumbar Herniated Disc

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of eight weeks of conventional and suspension core<br />stability exercises by use of the designed device on characteristic of intervertebral discs in low back pain.<br />Methods: A total of 27 men with chronic low back (CLB) pain due to lumbar disc herniation in L4-L5 and L5-S1 regions<br />were enrolled in this quasi-experimental study. After assessing the pain intensity using a visual analog scale (VAS) and<br />determining the disc herniation index using MRI, each group of patients were asked to perform either conventional<br />or suspension exercises for eight weeks, each week consisting of three training sessions. The pain intensity was<br />assessed at the end of the first, second, third, fourth and eighth weeks and the disc hernia index was determined again<br />at the end of the eight weeks of exercises.<br />Results: The results indicated significant changes in the intensity of pain in both groups through the period of eight<br />weeks of exercise with a remarkable pain relief. In relation to the structural characteristics of the intervertebral disc, data<br />analysis did not reveal any significant change between the pre- and post-test.<br />Conclusion: Considering the beneficial effects of the stability exercises and specially suspension stability exercises<br />with respect to pain alleviation and reduced use of sedatives and anti-inflammatory drugs, this method can be helpful<br />at early stages of treatment for chronic pains.<br />Level of evidence: I