Effects of an eight-week physical exercise program on low back pain and function in fruit workers: A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Low back pain is prevalent in workers' health and functional performance. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of a physical exercise program on low back pain and disability in fruit workers. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial assigned 44 workers (37 +/- 9 years) to two groups. The experimental group consisted of 10 men and 12 women with an average age of 38 ( +/- 9) years, and the control group consisted of 8 men and 14 women with an average age of 36 ( +/- 10) years. The experimental group (EG) performed a program of strength and flexibility exercises for eight weeks, twice a week. The control group (CG) received minimal care, with a booklet with guidelines for performing exercises. The primary outcomes included changes in perceived disability and the intensity of pain evaluated by the Rolland-Morris questionnaire and the Numerical Pain Scale, respectively. All outcomes were measured at baseline and after eight weeks of intervention. RESULTS: A significant difference was observed in the within-group analysis, with a mean reduction in pain intensity in the EG and CG of 4.55 (95%CI 7.01 to 2.09) and 3.81 (95%CI 1.72-5.90), respectively. For disability, a reduction of 4.45 (95% CI 8.89 to 0.02) was observed in the EG and of 4.43 ( 7.38 to 1.48) in the CG. There were no significant differences in the between-groups analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The exercise program was not superior to using the educational booklet. However, both interventions showed substantial decreases in pain and disability levels.