ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of breathing exercises and lumbar segmental exercises on the segmental stability of patients with chronic back pain. METHODS: Fifty-nine patients, who suffered from chronic low back pain, were enrolled in this examination. They were divided randomly into three groups: experiment group 1 underwent breathing and segmental stabilization exercises (n=20), experiment group 2 experienced segmental stabilization exercises (n=20), and the control group was given the modality treatment (n=19). The measurements were assessed through an Oswestry disability questionnaire (ODQ), as well as a lumbar segmental instability test (LSIT). RESULTS: The ODQ results for experimental groups 1 and 2 were similar (p 0.05). The differences in segmental instability of each of the three groups were similar (p < 0.05), and also similar among the three groups (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that lumbar segmental stabilization exercises are efficient in increasing the segmental stability and alleviating pain in patients with chronic back pain. Additional studies on this subject will be needed to improve the clinical applications in the future.