Pelvic floor muscle exercise for chronic low back pain

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of pelvic floor muscle exercise in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: Adults (aged ≥ 18 years) with chronic low back pain (with or without radiculopathy) were randomized to undergo either routine treatment (ultrasonography, short wave diathermy and lumbar strengthening exercises; control group) or routine treatment with pelvic floor exercises (intervention group) for 24 weeks. Pain, disability (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI] score) and trunk muscle function were assessed at baseline and after completion of treatment. RESULTS: The study included 47 patients (control group n = 24; intervention group n = 23). Pain severity and ODI scores were significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group after 24 weeks. There were no significant between-group differences in trunk muscle function. CONCLUSION: Pelvic floor exercise in combination with routine treatment provides significant benefits in terms of pain relief and disability over routine treatment alone.