A 4-week community aquatic physiotherapy program with Ai Chi or Bad Ragaz Ring Method improves disability and trunk muscle endurance in adults with chronic low back pain: A pilot study.

Abstract

To investigate the efficacy of a 4-week community aquatic physiotherapy program with Ai Chi or the Bad Ragaz Ring Method (BRRM) on pain and disability in adults with chronic low back pain (CLBP). Adults with CLBP (n= 44; mean ± SD age, 52.6 ± 5.5 y; 37 women) were assigned to either an Ai Chi (n= 23) or BRRM (n= 21) program (4 weeks, twice weekly). Both the Ai Chi (-1.4; 95% CI -2.6 to -0.2; p= .025) and BRRM (-2.0, 95% CI -3.1 to -0.8; p= 0.003) groups demonstrated significant pre- to post-treatment decreases in Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire scores and improvements in prone bridge duration (Ai Chi: 11.7 s; 95% CI 1.6 to 21.8; p= 0.025; BRRM: 19.0 s; 95% CI 6.1 to 31.8; p= 0.006). The Ai Chi group revealed a significant improvement in single-leg stand test duration (2.9 s; 95% CI 0.1 to 5.7; p= 0.045) and the BRRM group reported significant decrease in pain intensity (-11.6; 95% CI -19.1 to -4.2; p= 0.004). A 4-week aquatic physiotherapy program with Ai Chi or BRRM resulted in significant pre- to post-treatment improvements in disability and global core muscle endurance. Ai Chi appeared to have an additional benefit of improving single-leg standing balance and BRRM an additional benefit of reducing pain.