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Completed

NCT Number: NCT00786864

Exercise for Low Back Pain in Children

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of an eight-week specific exercise programme in reducing self-reported episodes and intensity of LBP, as well as modifying some of the identified risk factors for LBP, in children.

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Key information

Conditions

Low Back Pain Back Pain Behavior Motor Activity Neurologic Manifestations Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

12 year–13 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Government primary schools in the Ekurhuleni West and Johannesburg East Districts of Gauteng

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children aged 12-13 years
  • Complained of LBP in the past three months

Exclusion criteria

  • Serious spinal pathologies or deformities (e.g. severe scoliosis, spinal tumours)
  • Neurological conditions which alter motor tone
  • Physical disabilities (e.g. spinal cord injuries) which prevent the child from being able to stand up on their own without an orthotic device or brace, or which prevent the child from taking part in normal physical education (PE) classes
  • Any other serious co-morbidities (e.g. cancer, severe lung pathology)
  • Provincial sports participants, or children who were currently following a specific training programme with a biokineticist or physiotherapist
  • Current orthopaedic procedures or fractures of the spine, pelvis, lower or upper limbs

Treatment and study plan

Exercise programme

Other

Specific low back pain exercise programme for children

Primary outcomes

  1. Low Back Pain Prevalence

    Time frame: 3 months post-intervention

    All of the children complained of low back pain at baseline. Low back pain prevalence post-intervention was determined by the number of children still complaining of low back pain post-intervention.

  2. Low Back Pain Intensity

    Time frame: 3 months post-intervention

    The visual analogue scale (standardised 100mm, non-hatched line) was used to determine pain intensity. Scores can range between 0 and 10, with the worst possible pain/score = 10 and no pain/best score = 0. Visual analogue scale is continuous.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Neural Mobility

    Time frame: 3 months post-intervention

    Straight leg raise test was used to measure neural mobility. The amount of hip flexion (angle between the plinth and femur of the raised leg) was measured using a digital inclinometer. Scores ranged between 3 (worst score) and 90.5 (best score). Continuous data.

  2. Hamstring Flexibility

    Time frame: 3 months post-intervention

    Standardised hamstring muscle length test. The child was positioned in supine, with the hip flexed at 90 degrees. The knee was then extended passively. The angle of knee extension [from horizontal plane (level to plinth) to fibula] was measured using a digital inclinometer. Continuous data. Scores ranged from -20 (worst score) to 82 (best score).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Witwatersrand, South Africa

Other

Registry information

Official study title

School-Based Specific Exercise Programme Reduces the Prevalence and Intensity of Low Back Pain in 12-13 Year Old Children: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Acronym: LBP

Important dates

Study start
2007
Primary completion
2007
Study completion
2007
First posted
Nov 6, 2008
Registry last updated
Nov 6, 2008

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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