Effects in short and long term of global postural reeducation (GPR) on chronic low back pain: A controlled study with one-year follow-up

OBJECTIVE: Comparing global postural reeducation (GPR) to a standard physiotherapy treatment (PT) based on active exercises, stretching, and massaging for improving pain and function in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients. DESIGN: Prospective controlled study. Setting. Outpatient rehabilitation facility. PARTICIPANTS: Adult patients with diagnosis of nonspecific, chronic (>6 months) low back pain. INTERVENTIONS: Both treatments consisted of 15 sessions of one hour each, twice a week including patient education. MEASURES: Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire to evaluate disability, and Numeric Analog Scale for pain. A score change >30% was considered clinically significant. Past treatments, use of medications, smoking habits, height, weight, profession, and physical activity were also recorded on baseline, on discharge, and 1 year after discharge (resp., T0, T1, and T2). RESULTS: At T0 103 patients with cLBP (51 cases and 52 controls) were recruited. The treatment (T1) has been completed by 79 (T1) of which 60 then carried out the 1-year follow-up (T2). Both GPR and PT at T1 were associated with a significant statistical and clinical improvement in pain and function, compared to T0. At T2, only pain in GPR still registered a statistically significant improvement