OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT FOR EXERCISE TREATMENT ON THE B-200 ISOSTATION AS PART OF WORK TOLERANCE REHABILITATION - A RANDOM PROSPECTIVE BLIND EVALUATION WITH COMPARISON CONTROL POPULATION

The purpose of this study was to assess repeated exercise on the B-200 Isostation as part of rehabilitation work tolerance for nonsurgical p atients with lumbar spine disorders. For a consecutive 7-month period, treatment subjects were randomly assigned according to birth date for participation in two groups: a standard work tolerance program only o r standard work tolerance program plus inclusion of exercise on the B- 200 Isostation. Each patient had similar referral diagnosis requiring conservative treatment. Treatment groups were compared with a control population of volunteers who had neither back pain nor known underlyin g spinal pathology. All study patients had objective measurement of ra nge of motion, isometric strength, and velocity of motion, on the 0-20 0 isostation before treatment and at follow-up 3 weeks after treatment . The data showed no significant difference of percent improvement whe n comparing patients in either of the randomized assigned treatment gr oups. There was a higher percentage of improvement for each treatment group as compared with the control individuals, however. Based on our study using the B-200 isostation, there is little objective justificat ion for including exercise on the B-200 dynametric isostation as part of the rehabilitation routine for improvement of functional physical c apacity.