| Abstract | Aims: To investigate the effect of specific lumbar stabilizing exercises on relieving antenatal low back pain. Study
design: A randomized clinical controlled trial. Place and Duration of study: Department of Obstetrics (antenatal clinic),
Kafelsheikh general hospital - Kafelsheikh, between October 2014 and January 2015. Methodology: Twenty pregnant women
(age 20-25 years) at 20-24 weeks gestation, clinically diagnosed with low back pain and divided into 2 equal groups (A&B).
Patients in group A were treated by lumbar stabilizing exercises for 12 weeks, patients in group B without any treatment. Low
back pain intensity and spine flexibility were measured by mean of a 100-mm horizontal visual analogue scale and side bending
test before and after the treatment program. Results: Patients in group A showed significant decrease in low back pain intensity
(P=0.01) and spine flexibility (P=0.01), while in group B there were significant increase in low back pain intensity (P=0.01)
without difference in spine flexibility (Right and Left sides) (P=0.83 and 0.6) at the end of the study. There were no significant
differences in low back pain intensity (P=0.82) and spine flexibility (Right and Left sides) (P=0.76 and 0.69) at the beginning of
the study. But there were highly significant differences in low back pain intensity (P=0.001) and spine flexibility (Right and Left
sides)(P=0.01) at the end of the study between both groups, Conclusion: lumbar stabilizing exercises decrease the pain intensity
and increase the lumbar range of motion. |