Effect of High Intensity Interval Exercise on Chronic Low Back Pain Patients (CLBP)

Effect of High Intensity Interval Exercise on pain, disability and autonomic balance in patients with chronic low back pain

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a clinical problem of large magnitude with great socio-economical effect. About 80% of people may complain of low back pain in their life.

Patients with low back pain (LBP) often report an overall reduced physical activity and fitness that could consequently lead to an altered autonomic balance. Dysregulation of autonomic nervous system (ANS) is also implicated to be an underlying cause in the initiation and persistence of chronic muscle pain. Different types of exercises can be prescribed to patients with CLBP to improve pain, disability and physical fitness. High intensity interval exercise (HIIE) is a newer modality where short bursts of high intensity exercise are interspersed with rest intervals.it is more time efficient, enjoyable, and superior to mild or moderate intensity continuous exercise in improving the physical fitness, peak performance, autonomic balance, muscle strength and coordination in athletes. HIIE might prove more useful and effective for individuals with nonspecific CLBP and could have a better adherence rate in the long run.

Methods: After the ethical approval of Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, KSA, eighty (80) patients with nonspecific CLBP (either sex, age: 18-65 years) will be recruited. These patients, with mild to moderate disability/pain according to Oswestry index, will be referred from relevant clinics to the physiotherapy department of King Fahd Hospital of the University, AlKhobar (KFHU). After full explanation of the study, the patients will be required to sign an informed consent form and then they will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups.

Experimental Group (GE: n= 40) will be assigned for HIIE in addition to standard regular physiotherapy, and Control Group (GC: n=40) will be designated as control group with standard regular physiotherapy only. Pre and post intervention assessment includes pain intensity through Numerical Pain Scale, disability through Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and autonomic balance through heart rate variability (HRV) and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) at rest and in response to an orthostatic challenge.

Data will be entered in Microsoft excel and comparisons and correlations will be done using either excel or SPSS version 20 Expectations: It is expected that HIIE will improve the autonomic balance of the CLBP patients to a greater extent compared to no-exercise and consequently improve the pain and disability to a higher degree. HIIE could be a useful, efficacious addition to the list of exercise modalities for patients with nonspecific CLBP, and could be recommended for management of appropriate group of CLBP patients.