Coordinative training of nursing staff with back pain

Purpose: The coordinative training used in this study for occupational health promotion of nursing staff with back pain is an important component of movement therapy. This concept has only rarely been evaluated for prevention and rehabilitation in back pain. This fact should be considered regarding the still growing number of musculo-skeletal diseases. Therefore the influence of coordinative training in the three dimensional concept of Space-curl has been investigated in a randomised controlled study regarding coordination, back pain and quality of life. Materials and Methods: A randomised controlled study included 104 nursing personnel of the Medical Faculty of the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg (mean age: 35,1), without back pain at the start of study (evaluation point 1). 52 test persons took part in an active standardized coordination training program (36 training sessions of 30 minutes each, once to twice weekly). The control group contained 52 test persons without training. Body surface electromyography and posturography were used as instruments of clinical functional diagnostics. A specially devised questionnaire recording back pain and the WHOQOL-BREF (German version) for the evaluation of living quality was used. The investigation parameters were recorded at 4 intervals. Results: No significant difference was found between the active and passive group at evaluation point 1. Functional diagnostics (body surface electromyography; posturography) showed significant improvements in 69% and 74% in active group (p < 0.001; evaluation point 2). The result could be reproduced with high significance by surface electromyography. Back pain frequency decreased significantly in 34% of the active group (p = 0.016; evaluation point 2), also life quality showed a significant increase in 43% of these health care workers (p = 0.028; evaluation point 2). The untrained group showed no significant changes (evaluation point 2 and 3) in all investigation parameters. The regression analysis showed no direct relationship between the parameters coordination, back pain and quality of life to each other but they improved independently in the active group. Conclusion: The used coordination training in the Space-curl led to significant improvements in the independent variables, coordination, back pain and quality of life.