95% of These People with Back Pain Got Much Better in 2 Weeks

Jonathon Strefling, DPT • Sep 16, 2022

When a Physical Therapist was able to find a back movement that reduced symptoms, 95% of those who followed those movements felt significantly better in just 2 weeks.

The Study

Participants


Over 300 people of all ages who had anything from acute to chronic low back pain or sciatica were included in this study.


Methods


All participants were assessed using the MDT (McKenzie) method of assessing back pain. If a favorable spinal direction of movement was found (one that reduced symptoms in a specific way, which was over 70% of them), then they were randomly separated into 3 groups.


Three Groups


The 3 groups were given exercises based on the favorable direction of movement:

  1. Exercises given IN the direction of favorable movement.
  2. Exercises given OPPOSITE the direction of favorable movement.
  3. No exercises given - just encouraged to "stay active"


The Results at 2 weeks later...

Exercise Group % significantly better or pain-free % of drop outs Any that were worse?
1: IN the direction 95% 0% No
2: OPPOSITE direction 23% 50% Yes
3: NO EXERCISES 42% 0% --

Commentary


First

People with a variety of back & sciatic pains were able to be given exercises that they could do themselves, and 95% of them achieved significant improvements in just 2 weeks.


Second


Moving in the opposite direction is worse than doing nothing! Therefore, direction matters.


Third


People improved by doing nothing, which tells us that our bodies are working for us. But by simply giving the body a better environment to do what it was created to do, you can more than double the improvements.


For more on how we practice the MDT method with back pain, CLICK HERE.

Study:

Long A, Donelson R, Fung T. Does it matter which exercise? A randomized control trial of exercise for low back pain. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2004 Dec 1;29(23):2593-602. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000146464.23007.2a. PMID: 15564907.

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