DG Journal Club
DESIGN A single-blinded, randomised, controlled trial.
SETTING Outpatient, sports medicine clinic of Mazandaran medical university.
PARTICIPANTS Sixty patients with chronic non-specific low back pain randomised equally into the Feldenkrais method versus core stability exercises groups.
INTERVENTION Intervention group received Feldenkrais method consisting of training theoretical content and supervised exercise therapy two sessions per week for five weeks. Control group received educational programme and home-based core stability exercises for five weeks.
OUTCOME MEASURES All patients were examined by World Health Organization’s Quality of life Questionnaire, McGill Pain Questionnaire, Oswestry Disability Questionnaire and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness Questionnaire. All outcomes were measured at baseline and the end of the intervention.
RESULTS There were statistically significant differences between groups for quality of life ( P = 0.006, from 45.51 to 60.49), interoceptive awareness ( P > 0.001, from 2.74 to 4.06) and disability ( P = 0.021, from 27.17 to 14.5) in favour of the Feldenkrais method. McGill pain score significantly decreased in both the Feldenkrais (from 15.33 to 3.63) and control groups (from 13.17 to 4.17), but there were no between-groups differences ( P = 0.16).
CONCLUSION Feldenkrais method intervention gave increased benefits in improving quality of life, improving interoceptive awareness and reducing disability index.