A master thesis from Aalborg University
Feasibility of Belt Squat Training for Individuals with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain and Its Impact on Pain Sensitivity
[Gennemførligheden af belt squat træning for personer med kroniske uspecifikke lænderygsmerter og dens påvirkning på smertesensitiviteten]
Term
4. semester
Education
Publication year
2024
Submitted on
2024-05-31
Abstract
Abstract Aim: Sub project 1 aimed to test the feasibility of the belt squat exercise for participants with chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP), and to investigate if their pain levels changed during a training intervention. Sub project 2 aimed to examine changes in Exercise-Induced Hypoalgesia (EIH) and pressure pain threshold (PPT) during a belt squat intervention in healthy individuals (HI). Methods: A group of 10 participants with LBP and a group of 15 HI completed the same belt squat intervention, consisting of three sets of five repetitions with two sessions pr. week for six and four weeks respectively. A five repetition maximum test was conducted pre- and postintervention for both groups. PPT levels were collected before and after both tests and training sessions for both groups, along with pain ratings on a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for the LBP group. The LBP group also completed EQ-5D-5L, FABQ, and ODI questionnaires pre and post intervention and a feasibility questionnaire post intervention. Results: The belt squat intervention was feasible for the LBP participants who all reported having a positive experience and feeling safe during the exercise. The majority of training sessions produced significant EIH responses for both groups. In PPT levels for LBP there was a significant 59% increase from before pretest to before posttest and a 71% increase from after pretest to after posttest. There was a significant 20% increase in PPT levels after pretest to after posttest for HI. There were significant improvements in VAS pain scores from before pretest standing (2.11±1.53) to before posttest standing (0.66±1.11) P=0.008, and from before pretest dynamic (3.00±1.63) to before posttest dynamic (1.00±0.81) P=0.038. For the health questionnaires EQ-5D-5L-Health-today (P=0.054), ODI (P=0.053) and FABQ (P=0.072), all measures showed a tendency of improvement in scores based on the P-value, although these values were not significant. Conclusions: The belt squat intervention was feasible for LBP participants and resulted in significant improvements in both PPT levels and VAS scores, indicating reduced pain sensitivity. The HI responded similarly to LBP in terms of improvement in PPT levels, suggesting that resistance training can mediate changes in pain sensitivity, potentially explaining the mechanism behind the pain alleviating effects of the belt squat exercise in individuals with chronic non-specific LBP.
Documents
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