Spine stabilization exercises are not superior to flexion exercises for ultrasound-detected muscle thickness changes in patients with chronic low back pain and lumbar spondylolisthesis.

INTRODUCTION: exercise programs can reduce pain and improve functionality in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis and chronic low back pain. However, there is still no consensus surrounding the superiority of any specific routine for exercise-induced trophic changes of lumbar muscles. The aim was to compare the changes in the primary lumbar stabilizing muscle thickness after spine stabilization exercises and flexion exercises in patients with spondylolisthesis and chronic low back pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: prospective, longitudinal and comparative study was carried out. Twenty-one treatment-naive patients with a diagnosis of both chronic low back pain and degenerative spondylolisthesis over the age of 50 were included. A physical therapist taught participants either spine stabilization exercises or flexion exercises to execute daily at home. The thickness of the primary lumbar muscles was measured through ultrasound (at rest and contraction) at baseline and three months. A Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were performed for comparisons, and Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated for associations. RESULTS: we did not find statistically between the exercise programs: all patients presented significant changes in the thickness of the multifidus muscle but in none of the other evaluated muscles. CONCLUSION: there is no difference between spine stabilization exercises and flexion exercises after three months in terms of the changes in muscle thickness evaluated by ultrasound.

INTRODUCCIÓN: el ejercicio reduce el dolor y mejora la funcionalidad en pacientes con dolor crónico lumbar y espondilolistesis degenerativa. Sin embargo, no existe a la fecha un consenso sobre la superioridad de algún programa de ejercicio para inducir cambios tróficos de los músculos estabilizadores lumbares, por lo que el objetivo fue comparar el trofismo de estos músculos mediante ultrasonido, con dos programas de ejercicio distintos: estabilización vertebral versus ejercicios flexores. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: estudio prospectivo, longitudinal y comparativo, en veintiún pacientes mayores de 50 años, con dolor crónico lumbar y espondilolistesis degenerativa. Se entrenó a los pacientes para la ejecución diaria de ejercicio: estabilización lumbar o ejercicios flexores, los cuales fueron asignados por aleatorización como parte de un ECA en desarrollo. El trofismo muscular fue evaluado mediante ultrasonido al inicio y a tres meses. Las pruebas de U de Mann-Whitney y prueba de Wilcoxon se usaron para comparaciones entre grupos y para correlaciones se usaron los coeficientes de correlación de Spearman. RESULTADOS: todos los pacientes presentaron ganancia en el trofismo de los músculos multífidos a tres meses, pero sin diferencias entre grupos de tratamiento. No se detectaron cambios significativos en el resto de los músculos evaluados. CONCLUSIÓN: no encontramos diferencia significativa entre los ejercicios de estabilización lumbar y los ejercicios flexores, a tres meses de seguimiento, en términos de los cambios tróficos medidos por ultrasonido de los músculos estabilizadores lumbares.

Tratamiento postquirúrgico de hernia discal lumbar en rehabilitación: Revisión sistemática / Postoperative treatment for lumbar disc herniation during rehabilitation: Systematic review

Existen diversos programas e intervenciones para la rehabilitación de pacientes postoperados por hernia discal lumbar (HDL) sintomática. Para determinar el valor de las diferentes intervenciones de rehabilitación dentro del tratamiento postoperatorio de pacientes con HDL sintomática. Material y métodos: Revisión Sistemática. Búsqueda en bases de datos electrónicas desde Enero del 2000 hasta Octubre del 2012. Dos revisores independientes certificados para el uso de la escala PEDro evaluaron los ensayos clínicos incluidos en la revisión final; se incluyeron únicamente aquéllos con alta calidad metodológica; un tercer evaluador fungió de árbitro en caso de discrepancia entre los revisores. Hubo cegamiento de autores, instituciones y revistas para mejorar la precisión de calificaciones y validez interevaluador. Resultados: Se consideraron 15 ensayos clínicos para ser revisados por los evaluadores; 8 (53.3%) se consideraron de alta calidad metodológica (promedio 7.7 de 10 puntos). Se aleatorizaron 1099 participantes a diferentes grupos de tratamiento. No fue posible realizar un metaanálisis con los datos de los ensayos debido a las múltiples intervenciones y variables de desenlace utilizadas. Conclusiones: Se recomienda un programa de rehabilitación inmediata en pacientes postoperados por primera vez de microdisectomía. La intervención cognitiva con reforzamiento positivo aunado al ejercicio es un tratamiento eficaz; incluso se considera alternativo a la fusión vertebral en pacientes postoperados por HDL con recurrencia de síntomas posterior a una primera intervención. Los resultados de la actividad postquirúrgica temprana son generalmente excelentes y sin complicaciones. Se requiere aumentar el número y calidad metodológica de ensayos clínicos enfocados al tema para sustentar la utilidad de estas intervenciones en la práctica clínica diaria.

Various programs and interventions are available for the rehabilitation of patients who have undergone surgery for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Our aim is to determine the value of the different rehabilitation interventions included in the postoperative treatment of patients with symptomatic LDH. Material and methods: Systematic review. Search in electronic data bases from January 2000 to October 2012. Two independent reviewers certified in the use of the PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Data Base) scale assessed the clinical trials included in the final version; only those with high methodological quality were included. A third reviewer acted as arbitrator in case of discrepancy between reviewers. The reviewers were blinded to the authors, institutions and journals to increase the precision of their ratings and the inter-reviewer validity. Results: Fifteen clinical trials were reviewed by the reviewers; 8 (53.3%) were considered as having a high methodological quality (average of 7.7/10). Were randomized 1099 participants to different treatment groups. It was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis with the clinical trial data due to the multiple interventions and outcome measures used. Conclusions: An immediate rehabilitation program is recommended in patients undergoing micro-diskectomy for the first time. Cognitive intervention with positive reinforcement together with exercise is an effective treatment. It is even considered as an alternative to vertebral fusion in patients who underwent LDH surgery with symptom recurrence after the first surgery. The results of early postoperative activity are usually excellent and involve no complications. The number and the methodological quality of the clinical trials on this topic need to be increased to justify the usefulness of these interventions in the daily clinical practice.

[Adaptation in Spanish for the Mexican population with lumbar radiculopathy of the Standardized Evaluation of Pain]. / Adaptación al español para la población mexicana con radiculopatía lumbar de la Escala de Evaluación Estandarizada del Dolor (StEP).

INTRODUCTION: The clinical assessment of radicular pain associates the signs and symptoms of the painful phenotype with the underlying mechanism. The Standardized Evaluation of Pain (StEP) distinguishes between axial and radicular lumbar pain by means of a questionnaire (3 questions) and a physical exam (8 tests). OBJECTIVE: To adapt the StEP scale to Spanish. METHODOLOGY: Selection of the scale, translation-back translation, adjustments, items and utility, pilot test, validity and reliability tests. Inclusion criteria: Any sex, over age 18, lumbar pain with or without irradiation, signing of the informed consent. Exclusion criteria: Neuropathies, polyneuropathies, myopathies, neurologic, myofascial, venous, psychiatric, cardiovascular disease, postoperative status. Sample: 21 patients. RESULTS: Patients were assessed twice with a one-week interval with the help of 2 evaluators. There were 21 patients, 9 females (42.9%) and 12 males (57.1%); ages 22-58 years (mean 38). Diagnoses: low back pain, 7 (33.3%); lumbosciatica, 6 (28.6%); disc herniation, 5 (23.8%); spondylolisthesis, 2 (9.5%); radiculopathy, 1 (4.8%). Evaluator 1: axial, 18 (85.7%); radicular, 3 (14.3%). Evaluator 2: axial, 14 (66.7%); radicular, 7 (33.3%). Validity results were appropriate. Internal consistency (Cornbach's alpha), 0.7. Test/ re-test time: 10-15 minutes. Inter-evaluator reliability (Kappa index), 0.5. CONCLUSION: The scale showed variability in identifying radicular pain compared to what its author reported initially. However, it is considered as a useful tool to clinically identify radiculopathy.

[Postoperative treatment for lumbar disc herniation during rehabilitation. Systematic review]. / Tratamiento postquirúrgico de hernia discal lumbar en rehabilitación. Revisión sistemática.

UNLABELLED: Various programs and interventions are available for the rehabilitation of patients who have undergone surgery for symptomatic lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Our aim is to determine the value of the different rehabilitation interventions included in the postoperative treatment of patients with symptomatic LDH. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Systematic review. Search in electronic data bases--from January 2000 to October 2012. Two independent reviewers certified in the use of the PEDro (Physiotherapy Evidence Data Base) scale assessed the clinical trials included in the final version; only those with high methodological quality were included. A third reviewer acted as arbitrator in case of discrepancy between reviewers. The reviewers were blinded to the authors, institutions and journals to increase the precision of their ratings and the inter-reviewer validity. RESULTS: Fifteen clinical trials were reviewed by the reviewers; 8 (53.3%) were considered as having a high methodological quality (average of 7.7/10). Were randomized 1099 participants to different treatment groups. It was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis with the clinical trial data due to the multiple interventions and outcome measures used. CONCLUSIONS: An immediate rehabilitation program is recommended in patients undergoing microiskectomy for the first time. Cognitive intervention with positive reinforcement together with exercise is an effective treatment. It is even considered as an alternative to vertebral fusion in patients who underwent LDH surgery with symptom recurrence after the first surgery. The results of early postoperative activity are usually excellent and involve no complications. The number and the methodological quality of the clinical trials on this topic need to be increased to justify the usefulness of these interventions in the daily clinical practice.