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Acute Effects of a Brief Physical Exercise Intervention on Somatosensory Perception, Lumbar Strength, and Flexibility in Patients with Nonspecific Chronic Low-Back Pain

2021; Dove Medical Press; Volume: Volume 14; Linguagem: Inglês

10.2147/jpr.s274134

1178-7090

Carolina Sitges, Olga Velasco‐Roldán, Jaume Crespí, Nuria García-Dopico, Joan Segur-Ferrer, Ana M. González‐Roldán, Pedro Montoya,

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research

Background: Evidence-based clinical guidelines consider physical exercise one of the best nonpharmacological interventions for low-back pain (LBP), but it is necessary to clarify the exercise-induced hypoalgesia effect of different modalities of exercise in chronic pain populations. Purpose: This study focused on exploring acute changes in tactile and pressure-pain perception and lumbar strength and flexibility in patients with nonspecific chronic LBP (NSCLBP) after performing one of three 20-minute physical exercise modalities. Methods: A total of 81 patients with NSCLBP were pseudorandomly distributed into three groups of 20-minute physical exercise — 1) aerobic (n=21, mean age 42± 9.72 years, nine men), 2) stretching (n=21, mean age 40± 11.37 years, ten men), and 3) strengthening (n=20, mean age 35.80± 11.56 years, ten men) — and 4) a control group (n=19, mean age 38.64± 10.24 years, eight men), and completed self-reported questionnaires during the same period. Tactile and pressure-pain thresholds and isometric lumbar muscle endurance and flexibility were assessed before and after this brief exercise-based intervention. Results: All groups were comparable in terms of sociodemographic and clinical data, cardiovascular capacity, and self-reported data onphysical disability, mood, motivation, psychological response to stimulus properties of physical exercise, and physical activity enjoyment. Our analyses revealed higher tactile sensitivity ( p < 0.001) and pressure-pain thresholds ( p < 0.001) at the forefinger than other body locations. We also found lower pain sensitivity ( p =0.010) and pressure pain–intensity ratings ( p =0.001) and higher lumbar flexibility ( p < 0.001) after intervention. After calculation of absolute pre–post differences, higher tactile sensitivity was observed at the gluteus medius muscle than the erector spinal muscle only after aerobic intervention ( p =0.046). Conclusion: These results add some evidence about different modalities of exercise-induced hypoalgesia in NSCLBP. However, the fact that we also found improvements in the control group limits our conclusions. Keywords: low-back pain, exercise therapy, aerobic exercise, flexibility