THE CLINICAL EFFECTS OF INTENSIVE, SPECIFIC EXERCISE ON CHRONIC LOW-BACK-PAIN - A CONTROLLED-STUDY OF 895 CONSECUTIVE PATIENTS WITH 1-YEAR FOLLOW-UP

Eight hundred ninety-five consecutive chronic low back pain patients w ere evaluated, Six hundred twenty-seven completed the program, One hun dred sixty-one began, but dropped out, and 107 were recommended for tr eatment but did not undergo treatment for various reasons, Average dur ation of symptoms prior to evaluation was 26 months, Forty-seven perce nt of patients were workers' compensation patients, The primary treatm ent was intensive, specific exercise using firm pelvic stabilization t o isolate and rehabilitate the lumbar spine musculature, Patients were encouraged to work hard to achieve specific goals, Seventy-six percen t of patients completing the program had excellent or good results, At I-year follow up 94% of patients with good or excellent results repor ted maintaining their improvement, Results in the control group were s ignificantly poorer in all areas surveyed except employment.