Evaluation of Municipal Fitness Programs for Women with Low Back Pain

Abstract

Introduction In 2000, a European Community working group met with the phenomenon of acute undetected pain in the lumbar spine. Experts from almost all countries in the European zone took place in this meeting, to identify potential harmful factors, to establish a framework for prevention and to formulate guidelines for the treatment of LBP among the field’s professionals. In the results, the working group made widely known the poor association of the LBP feeling in connection to the radiographic diagnosis, as it often did not coincide with the pain in the particular area of the patient. It also included guidelines for exercise as a mean of preventing and of reducing LBP during its chronic phase. Advices were also given on what kind and at which intensity of exercise is appropriate. LBP defined as the pain followed by concomitant discomfort, located between the lateral and the lower gluteus folds (Haryono, Kawilarang, & Prastowo, 2019). Acute LBP defined as the one lasts less than 6 weeks, sub acute the one between 6-12 weeks, while for more than 12 weeks characterized as chronic. Pain divided in two categories according to the causal risk factors. Red-flag sign defined the group who has predisposing factors to experience LBP. This category includes ages under 25 and over 55 years, recent history of violent trauma, steadily worsening non-mechanical pain (not receding with bedtime), chest pain, malignant tumor medical history, prolonged use cortisone, unexplained weight loss, and various other factors of minor importance (Waddell, Feder, McIntosh, Lewis, & Hutchinson, 1998). The yellow-flag sign refers to secondary risk factors for LBP. Participants according to their working group stated that, work satisfaction, emotional issues (stress, depression, etc.), pain management, and low levels of exercise are factors that cause chronic LBP (Kendall, Linton, & Main, 1997). The cost of any form of LBP evaluated as GDP percentage. In Finland, the total cost reaches 0.8% (Heikki, 2002), in the Netherlands 1.7% (Van Tulder, Koes, & Bouter, 1995), in Sweden 1.7% (Nachemson, 1991), in the United States is 2.2% (Frymoyer & Cats-Baril, 1991) of the GDP’s of each country. UK has the highest numbers of back pain related absenteeism in the EU, nearly 10 million workdays were lost to back pain in 2014, (Miller, 2014), where the cost also reaches 2% of GDP (Maniadakis & Gray, 2000), agreed with survey results presented shown that 75-85% of absenteeism were due to back pain (Andersson, 1999; Waddell et al., 1998). Artur (2014), underline that LBP is the leading cause of disability for most of countries in Europe, North Africa and a part of Latin America. The majority of researches have so far not addressed LBP issues Abstract