| Abstract [eng] |
The Author: Gabriela Subotovič Academic supervisor: Rita Remeikienė, Senior Researcher Keywords: Adolescent Low Back Pain, Physiotherapy for Low Back Pain, Classical Physiotherapy for Adolescent Low Back Pain, Dinamic Neuromuscular Stabilization for Adolescent Low Back Pain. Work relevance: Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization technique is used for adults suffering from low back pain. However, there are almost no studies supporting the effectiveness of this technique in reducing low back pain in adolescents. It is also not known whether this technique could be more effective than Classical Physiotherapy.
 The aim of research work: To evaluate the effectiveness of Classical Physiotherapy and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization techniques in the treatment of adolescents’ low back pain. Tasks of work: 1.To assess and compare low back pain in adolescents using Classical Physiotherapy and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization techniques. 2.To identify and compare changes in adolescents' lumbo-pelvic position and stabilization using Classical Physiotherapy and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization techniques. 3.To analyse and compare the adolescents’ functional ability affected by low back pain using Classical Physiotherapy and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization techniques. Materials and methods: The study was conducted between 2023 and 2024 at Department of Children's Outpatient Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital, Affiliate of Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Klinikos. A total of 50 (n=50) adolescents aged 10-17 years complaining of low back pain and having abnormal posture or juvenile idiopathic scoliosis participated in the study. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: the study group (n=25) and the control group (n=25). Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization technique for the study group and Classical Physiotherapy for the control group was used. Adolescents participated in five physiotherapy sessions (30 minutes, five times a week). Methods used to assess participants before and after physiotherapy intervention were Numeric Rating Scale, DIERS Formetric 3D diagnostic system, Stabilizer pressure bio-feedback analogue and Oswestry questionnaire. SPSS 29.0.2.0 and MS Excel were used for statistical data analysis. Results: Adolescents' low back pain, lumbo-pelvic position and stabilization, and functional ability improved statistically significantly in both groups (p<0.001). However, when comparing the groups, statistically significantly better results were observed in the study group (p<0.001). Cohen's d coefficient was >0.8 for all assessments. Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization technique used in the study group was more effective than the Classical Physiotherapy technique used in the control group in the treatment of adolescent low back pain. 
Conclusions: 1.Adolescent low back pain was statistically significantly reduced in both groups (p<0.001). However, in the Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization technique group, the lumbar pain score was statistically significantly lower than in the Classical Physiotherapy technique group (p<0.001). 2.Adolescents' pelvic inclination, tilt, torsion and lordotic angle decreased statistically significantly in both groups (p<0.001). However, the parameters evaluated in the study group were statistically significantly lower compared to the control group (p<0.001). 3.The stabilization of the lumbar spine was statistically significantly increased using Classical Physiotherapy and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization techniques (p<0.001). However, when comparing the results between groups, lumbar stabilization was statistically significantly higher in the study group (p<0.001). 4.Adolescents' functional ability improved statistically significantly in both groups (p<0.001). However, the results were statistically significantly better in the study group than in the control group (p<0.001). |
