Abstract
Limited studies exist on the effects of exercise therapy on obese and normal-weight patients. Herein, we investigated the effect of a 12-week rehabilitation exercise program on cardiovascular risk factors, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and change in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of lumbar muscles in patients with obesity and normal-weight low back pain (LBP). LBP patients were allocated to the overweight LBP group (OLG; n = 15) and normal-weight LBP group (NLG; n = 15). They performed a rehabilitation exercise program three times per week for 12 weeks. Cardiovascular risk factors, ODI score, and lumbar muscle CSA were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Body composition, body weight (p < 0.001), and body mass index (p < 0.001) significantly improved after the exercise intervention in OLG. Body fat percentage significantly decreased in both groups, but OLG (p < 0.001) showed slightly greater improvement than NLG (p = 0.034). Total cholesterol (p = 0.013) and low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.002) significantly improved in OLG. ODI score improved significantly in both groups (p = 0.000). Lumbar muscle CSA showed a significant difference in the context of the time result (p = 0.008). OLG showed a significant improvement post-intervention (p = 0.003). The rehabilitation exercise program was more beneficial on cardiovascular risk factors and change in lumbar muscle CSA in OLG, suggesting an intensive exercise intervention needed for overweight patients with LBP.
Highlights
Obesity refers to the over-accumulation of fat tissues in the body and is associated with an imbalance between energy intake and consumption, inappropriate diet, lack of physical activities, mental stress, and endocrine disorder [1]
Patients whose body mass index (BMI) was >25 kg/m2 were assigned to the overweight group (OLG, n = 15) and the remaining in the normal-weight group (NLG, n = 15)
Changes in body weight (BW) showed a significant difference in the time (F = 21.921, p < 0.001) and interaction between the group and time (F = 5.607, p = 0.025), but there was no difference between the two groups (F = 0.798, p = 0.380)
Summary
Obesity refers to the over-accumulation of fat tissues in the body and is associated with an imbalance between energy intake and consumption, inappropriate diet, lack of physical activities, mental stress, and endocrine disorder [1]. An increasing musculoskeletal disorder with low back pain (LBP) has been reported in obese middle-aged women [2,3]. Decreased physical activity and irregular dietary habits can cause increasing abdominal obesity, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and metabolic disorders, resulting in chronic LBP [4,5]. Chronic LBP contributes to physical inactivity and decreased lumbar muscle strength and can cause muscle imbalance and decreased ability to perform activities of daily living and functional activities [6]. The intervention includes medication and injection for the treatment of LBP, to reduce pain and improve lumbar function. Exercise therapy is one of the common interventions for the treatment of LBP and is reported to be a more effective intervention for chronic LBP [7]
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