Effect of Muscle Energy Technique on Pain Perception and Functional Disability of Women with Postnatal Low Back Pain

Abstract

Aims: To determine the effect of muscle energy technique (MET) on postnatal low back pain. Place and Duration of Study: Department of obstetrics and gynecology, Ain Shams University Hospital, and Outpatient Clinic of Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, between January and May 2013. Methodology: This study was carried out upon forty women diagnosed as postnatal low back pain. They were selected from outpatient clinics of gynecology of Ain Shams University Hospital, Cairo University. Their age ranged from 25-35 years, BMI<30kg/ m², they were all after normal vaginal delivery using local anaesthesia. Patients with radicular pain distal to the knee, previous low back surgery, low back pathology diagnosed by a physician, spondylolisthesis and chronic low back pain were excluded from the study. They were randomly assigned into two equal groups (A& B). Group (A) consisted of twenty subjects, with an average age 29.2±1.9Yrs, and BMI 27.28±2.1kg/m2 who received MET. Group (B) consisted of twenty patients, with an average age 28.58±2.2Yrs, and BMI 28.92±0.7kg/m2 who received sham technique. A hot pack was used for 15 minutes for both groups (A&B) before the treatment. This is to decrease pain, muscle spasm, and provide vasodilatation of the blood vessels supplying the area. The MET was applied three times per week for four weeks for patients in group A, and the sham technique was applied three times per week for four weeks for subjects of group (B). Assessment of all subjects in both groups (A&B) was carried out before and after the treatment program using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Stratford Back Pain Functional Scale (BPFS). Results: There was a statistically highly significant decrease (P<0.001) in VAS scores and a statistically highly significant increase (P<0.001) in BPFS, after 4 weeks of the treatment program for group A than group B. Conclusion: Muscle energy technique is an effective and safe method in alleviating postnatal low back pain.