Aquatic therapy facilitates back pain and increases mental health

A new Concordia study suggests that aquatic therapy for people with chronic low back pain can make more than strengthen muscles around the spine. It can also have a beneficial impact on negative psychological factors that are often associated with disabling disease.

The study used a random controlled trial that involved two groups of patients with chronic low back pain. He found that participants who participated in aquatic therapy reported improvements in fear and pain disorders related to those who followed standard care programs.

The authors believe that this study shows preliminary evidence that links aquatic therapy with better psychological results for people with low back pain. His findings were published in The Nature Journal Scientific Reports.

“To get into the water makes people feel better immediately, because it eliminates the load of the column,” says the corresponding author Maryse Fortin, an associated professor in the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology.

“This caused aquatic therapy to be an interesting means to study people who are afraid related to pain such as kinesiophobia (fear of movement derived from fear of pain or injury) and catastropic pain, and how those related to spinal muscles.”

Stronger backs and healthier lives

The study analyzed two groups of 17 participants (34 in total) with chronic low back pain. They were randomly assigned to an aquatic exercise program or a standard treatment program for low back pain. Both were supervised by graduated students who are also certified athletic therapists, in the Swimex Pool of Concordia or at the Athletic Therapy Center of the Health School.

The participants attended two sessions weekly for 10 weeks, where they were involved in a standard treatment (which included land exercises) or in a standardized program of strengthening of aquatic therapy focused on exercises aimed at torso and hips. They also completed questionnaires about pain, disability, quality of life, fears related to pain, depression, anxiety and sleep quality.

All participants completed their questionnaires and underwent tests of strength and magnetic resonance scan before their first session and again after the last one after the 10 -week program.

The aquatic therapy group showed a significant increase in muscle size in multifidus and spine erector in the upper column, two sets of spinal muscles that are crucial for spinal stabilization. However, the increases were not observed in the lower lumbar column, which is more subject to intrusions and degradation muscle fats and is considered the most problematic area for people with lumbar pain.

The aquatic and standard care groups showed improvements marked in the average and maximum lumbar resistance.

Combined with the reduction of anxiety, pain -based fears and sleep alterations, these make really interesting findings, and we definitely need to observe that relationship more closely. The changes were clinically significant, not only statistically significant, which means they have a real impact on how participants feel. “

Maryse Fortin, Associate Professor, Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Concordia

The main author of the study is Brent Rosenstein, PHD 25. Co -authors include Chanelle Montpetit, Nicolas Vaillancourt, Geoffrey Dover, Christina Weiss, Lee Ann Papula and Antonys Melek.

The study received the support of Fonds from Recherche Du Québec – Santé and the R. Howard Webster Foundation.