Affiliations: [a] St. Luke's Sports Medicine Center
Note: [*] Sports/Industrial Medicine Consultant, St. Luke's Healthcare Association, St. Luke's Sports Medicine Center, 3525 Davenport Avenue, Saginaw, Michigan 48602-3380.
Note: [**] Address reprint requests to Dr. Timm at St. Luke's Sports Medicine Center, 3525 Davenport Avenue, Saginaw, MI 48602-3380.
Abstract: The purpose of this clinical investigation was to examine the effects of several different treatment approaches, one of which included isokinetic exercise, on the relative success of chronic low-back pain rehabilitation over 5 yr. Under a descriptive paradigm, 100 subjects (31 females, 69 males; mean age 42 yr; age range 22–67 yr) underwent an 8-wk period of management in one of four different treatment groups: Modality, Back School, Clinical Exercise, Integrated. Initial findings revealed pain relief results of 32% (Modality) to 88% (integrated) and return to work results of 55% (Modality) to 100% (Integrated). Findings at 5 yr revealed continued work results of 8% (Modality) to 82% (Integrated) and further treatment results of 6% (integrated) to 95% (Modality). Only the Integrated group (.91) demonstrated a significant correlation (p = .01) to rehabilitation success. It was concluded that an integrated program which includes isokinetic exercise was the most effective means of those evaluated for the successful 5-yr management of chronic low-back pain patients.
