ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Low back pain is among the most frequent conditions of nowadays and due to its high prevalence, it is defined as a social and civilization-related disease.Today, increasingly young patients present with this condition affecting about 80% of the population. In Poland, 70% of the population complain of back pain and the prevalence rate increases with age. The treatment includes application of various procedures, both in outpatient conditions and in sanatoria. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of sanatorium treatment with those of outpatient treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 240 patients with low back pain participated in the study. The sample was divided into two groups: 120 pa-tients undergoing treated in outpatient conditions and next, 120 patients undergoing sanatorium treatment. The research was based on survey in a form of a questionnaire, selected mobility tests and assessment of pain using thermal imaging camera and an algometer. RESULTS: The patients undergoing rehabilitation procedures in a sanatorium obtain improvement in terms of pain sensation (5.39 points in VAS scale) as compared with the patients undergoing rehabilitation in outpatient conditions (4.13 points in VAS scale) ; their results also indicate improvement in low back mobility (the obtained values, however, turned out statistically insignificant). Better results can be obtained by combining conventional rehabilitation with the approaches applied in sanatorium treatment, as confirmed by the assessment of each group of patients. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Rehabilitation of patients with lumbar spine pain conditions conducted in spa conditions is a more effective treat-ment method than in an outpatient clinic and should be used universally. 2. Research is indicated to determine the effect of rest in a sanatorium (the ambience) involving low back pain relief.
