Patients’ adherence to a walking programme for non-specific low back pain

Evaluation of the impact of a smartphone application on adherence to home exercise program for people with chronic low back pain: research protocol for a pilot randomised controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes are highly recommended for individuals with the most disabling low back pain (LBP). However, the long-term adherence to regular home exercise is often poor. We aim to perform a prospective, controlled, pilot, randomised study that will evaluate the impact of a smartphone application on adherence to exercise programme for people with chronic LBP (CLBP).

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

120 participants with non-specific CLBP aged 18-65 years will be recruited and randomised in two groups: an experimental group benefitting from education in the application's use in addition to a conventional multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme (exercises and self-management education) and a control group who will only participate in the multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Both groups will undergo the programme 5 days a week for 3 weeks. The primary outcome will be a change in patient's adherence to physical exercise (Exercise Adherence Rating Scale) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes will be function (Oswestry Disability Index), beliefs concerning physical activity (Evaluation of Physical Activity Perception), pain (Numeric Rating Scale), and physical capacity and qualitative adherence (video).Statistical analyses will be performed according to intention to treat. A linear mixed model will be used to compare the primary endpoint between groups at 6 months post-randomisation.The study could demonstrate the impact of using a smartphone application on adherence to exercise programme in people with CLBP. We hypothesise that the application's use will improve outcomes through improved exercise adherence.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study was approved by the medical ethics committee of Ile de France 3. The results of this study will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and presentations at international scientific meetings and will also be disseminated to the participants.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04264949.

A randomized controlled trial investigating effects of an individualized pedometer driven walking program on chronic low back pain

BACKGROUND

Walking is an easily prescribed physical activity for people with low back pain (LBP). However, the evidence for its effectiveness to improve pain and disability levels for people with chronic low back pain (CLBP) within a community setting has not been evaluated. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a clinician guided, pedometer-driven, walking intervention for increasing physical activity and improving clinical outcomes compared to education and advice.

METHODS

Randomized controlled trial recruiting N = 174 adults with CLBP. Participants were randomly allocated into either a standardized care group (SG) or pedometer based walking group (WG) using minimization allocation with a 2:1 ratio to the WG. Prior to randomization all participants were given a standard package of education and advice regarding self-management and the benefits of staying active. Following randomization the WG undertook a physiotherapist guided pedometer-driven walking program for 12 weeks. This was individually tailored by weekly negotiation of daily step targets. Main outcome was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) recorded at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 and 12 months. Other outcomes included, numeric pain rating, International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Back Beliefs questionnaire (BBQ), Physical Activity Self-efficacy Scale, and EQ-5D-5L quality of life estimate.

RESULTS

N = 138 (79%) participants completed all outcome measures at 12 weeks reducing to N = 96 (55%) at 12 months. Both observed and intention to treat analysis did not show any statistically significant difference in ODI change score between the WG and the SG at all post-intervention time points. There were also no significant between group differences for change scores in all secondary outcome measures. Post hoc sensitivity analyses revealed moderately disabled participants (baseline ODI ≥ 21.0) demonstrated a greater reduction in mean ODI scores at 12 months in the WG compared to SG, while WG participants with a daily baseline step count < 7500 steps demonstrated a greater reduction in mean ODI scores at 12 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we found no significant difference in change of levels of (ODI) disability between the SG and WG following the walking intervention. However, ODI responses to a walking program for those with moderate levels of baseline disability and those with low baseline step count offer a potential future focus for continued research into the benefit of walking as a management strategy for chronic LBP.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

United States National Institutes of Health Clinical Trails registry (http://ClinicalTrials.gov/) No. NCT02284958 (27/10/2014).

Sensor Technologies to Manage the Physiological Traits of Chronic Pain: A Review

Non-oncologic chronic pain is a common high-morbidity impairment worldwide and acknowledged as a condition with significant incidence on quality of life. Pain intensity is largely perceived as a subjective experience, what makes challenging its objective measurement. However, the physiological traces of pain make possible its correlation with vital signs, such as heart rate variability, skin conductance, electromyogram, etc., or health performance metrics derived from daily activity monitoring or facial expressions, which can be acquired with diverse sensor technologies and multisensory approaches. As the assessment and management of pain are essential issues for a wide range of clinical disorders and treatments, this paper reviews different sensor-based approaches applied to the objective evaluation of non-oncological chronic pain. The space of available technologies and resources aimed at pain assessment represent a diversified set of alternatives that can be exploited to address the multidimensional nature of pain.

The Social Relations of a Health Walk Group: An Ethnographic Study

It is already well established that regular walks are conducive to health and well-being. This article considers the production of social relations of regular, organized weekly group walks for older people. It is based on an ethnographic study of a Walking for Health group in a rural area of the United Kingdom. Different types of social relations are identified arising from the walk experience. The social relations generated are seen to be shaped by organizational factors that are constitutive of the walks; the resulting culture having implications for the sustainability of the experience. As there appears to be no single uniting theory linking group walk experiences to the production of social relations at this time, the findings are considered against therapeutic landscape, therapeutic mobility, and social capital theorizing. Finally, implications for the continuance of walking schemes for older people and for further research are considered.