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Aim: To demonstrate the effectiveness of a home-based physical therapy program on pain, spine mobility and quality of daily activities in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP). We also want to show that patients who undergo this program decreased their intake in analgesic and anti-inflammatory drugs. Methods: 18 patients with chronic low back pain were assessed with the following tests: VAS pain scale, Schober’s test and Rolland-Morris questionnaire. Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) consumption was recorded. Over a period of six months all subjects participated in a 45 minutes home-based physical therapy program, three times per week. Before starting this intervention all patients were instructed and exercises were demonstrated in front of them by a physical therapist. Moreover, they received written brochures in order to exercise correctly at home. Follow-up examinations took place at baseline and six months later. Results: We obtained significant differences between pre- and post-intervention assessments of pain (p=0.001), lumbar flexion (p=0.0001) and functional status (p=0.0005) in our group. Moreover, the number of patients who were taken analgesics decreased from 7 (39%) to 5 patients (28%). Likewise the number of patients who were taken anti-inflammatory drugs decreased from 11 (61%) to 8 (44%). Conclusion: The home-based rehabilitation program was effective in improving the ranges of active lumbar flexion and in decreasing the physical disability caused by low back pain, as well as in reducing the levels of pain. We note that a larger number of patients have given up to the intake of NSAIDs comparative to those who have given up to analgesics.
