Short-Term Effectiveness of Sand Bag Breathing Technique on Subjects with Mechanical Low Back Pain-A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Mechanical low back pain is a common cumulative musculoskeletal problem if left untreated may cause severe derangements in the spine leading to excruciating pain. The diaphragm forms a major part of the core muscle, which has a connection with obliques, rectus abdominis and transverses abdominis which further connects with latissimus dorsii and other back extensors via spiral muscle sling. Sand Bag breathing technique a type of PNF is well understood in treating respiratory disorders like asthma and COPD as it helps in the relaxation of the muscles and improves the efficiency of the respiratory muscles, thus having a positive effect on breathing. Dirth in the literature suggests that less studies have been conducted demonstrating the effects of San Bag Breathing on low back ache. Hence this study is been undertaken. Objective: To investigate the Effectiveness of Sand Bag Breathing in subjects with mechanical low back pain. Methodology: This is a randomized controlled trial conducted on mechanical low back pain 50 subjects who were divided into two groups; experimental and control. Results: Results indicated that therapy was statistically significant in the outcome measures: Pain (0.05 and 0.05), Resting Muscle thickness of Multifidus (<0.05 and 0.214), Kinesiophobia (0.05 and 0.765) and modified Oswestry disability questionnaire (0.05 and 0.212) for experimental and control group respectively. Conclusion: The Sand Bag Breathing Technique showed a significant effect in, improving the parameters related to mechanical low back pain thus suggesting it to be used as a protocol for treating subjects with back aches.