Rehabilitation Impact on Functional Disability with Mechanical Back Pain and the Evaluation of their Effectiveness

Abstract

Background: Mechanical back pain is a common condition that severely affects daily functioning and the quality of life. It often manifests as pain, stiffness, and limited movement, resulting in a functional handicap for affected individuals.

Objectives: Comparing the results of active rehabilitation with functional disability and with follow-up patients who had mechanical low back pain.

Patients and Methods: an experimental study in which 159 participants with mechanical back pain were selected from physiotherapy clinics to participate in this exploratory investigation. Group 1 received physiotherapy exercises, Group 2 received physiotherapy modalities, such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, ultrasound, infrared radiation, and short-wave diathermy, and Group 3 received a mix of exercises and modalities. Participants were randomly divided into three groups. Ten sessions of treatment were given to everyone. The Oswestry Impairment Index (ODI) was used to measure functional impairment and pain levels both before and after treatment.

Results: The analysis revealed statistically significant differences among the three therapeutic intervention groups in pain intensity and functional disability before and after treatment (p < 0.001). At baseline, participants in the Physical Therapy Modalities group presented with the highest levels of pain and disability. Following five treatment sessions, the Therapeutic Exercise and Physiotherapy Modalities Combined group showed the greatest reduction in pain intensity, with a post-intervention mean rank of 66.25, indicating significant clinical improvement. In contrast, the Therapeutic Exercise group achieved the most notable reduction in overall pain score, with a mean rank of 58.85, reflecting its specific effectiveness in pain perception. Regarding functional disability, the combined group again demonstrated the greatest improvement, suggesting that integrating exercise with physical modalities offers broader therapeutic benefits. These findings underscore the varying impact of each intervention, with the combined approach showing the most consistent improvement across both pain and functional outcomes.

Conclusion: This study has determined the effectiveness of physical therapy in reducing functional impairment in patients with mechanical back pain. The results indicated that the greatest improvement in pain reduction and functional mobility was achieved when physiotherapy exercises were combined with modalities such as Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation, ultrasound, and infrared radiation.

Keywords: Back pain, Rehabilitation, Functional disability.