Efficiency of GDS Method for Lumbar Stabilization for Non-Specific Low Back Pain in Primary Care

Low back pain is one of the most frequent ailments in industrialized countries, with a lifetime prevalence of more than 70%. It is responsible for a major portion of work absenteeism and is actually among those conditions which generate the greatest expense due to health and labor costs.

The Spanish National Health Service is a universal and free health care system. Non-specific low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent disorder, generating large health and social costs.

There is considerable variation in LBP related clinical practice and a considerable number of clinical guidelines have been developed for the management of subacute and chronic LBP patients.

Experience in Primary Care Centers of Madrid shows that physiotherapeutic intervention based on GDS Method for Articular and Muscular Chains is an efficient technique in the treatment of patients with diagnosis of non-specific low back pain compared with conventional physiotherapy treatment in Primary Care based on electrotherapy (TENS and microwave)

Currently, no randomized studies examining the effects of this method for patients with subacute or chronic non-specific low back pain have been published.

Inclusion criteria

Participants were required to:

• Be aged 18 years or older;
• Have been diagnosed with simple mechanical LBP by their doctor and prescribed physiotherapy;
• Have an impairment secondary to functional overload and/or poor postural habits (patients with certain occupations were excluded if these could act as confounding factors);
• Not be receiving any other form of treatment;
• Not be neurologically compromised; and
• To be in a subacute or chronic stage of LBP exceeding 4 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

Subjects were excluded if they:

• Showed clear symptoms of depression;
• Refused to participate;
• Did not sign the informed consent form;
• Had any cognitive impairment that would prevent them from following instructions;
• Were unable to understand Spanish sufficiently to adequately follow instructions;
• Had the intention of moving from the area;
• Had any form of contraindication to the physiotherapeutic techniques to be applied to both groups;
• Had red flags, or warning signs, of serious illness such as cancer, infection, fracture or cauda equinal syndrome;
• Had yellow flags, or risk factors, for a psychological disorder or had lumbar pain whose main cause was not mechanical.