Comparison of effectiveness of the exercises doing on stable and unstable surface on patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of exercises that is applied on stable (exercise mat) and unstable (exercise ball) surface on patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) and determine the appropriate exercise program.Methods: Thirtyt two patients with NCLBP who were diagnosed by the doctor at Medicine Faculty of Dokuz Eylül University and directed to School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation were enrolled in this study. Two patients who didn?t continue regularly to the exercise program were excluded from the study. The study was completed with thirty patients. The patients were randomly divided into two groups. Ball exercises were applied for the patients in study group (n=15) and mat exercises were applied for the patients in control group (n=15). Exercise program was applied by one physiotherapist for a group of 3-5 patients together during 8 weeks and three days per week. Each all patients were evaluated before and after the 8 weeks. Patients were evaluated by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain severity, manual muscle test and back-leg dynamometer for muscle strength of the trunk and the lower extremities, modified Sorensen test for lumbal extensor muscle endurance, partial curl-up test for abdominal muscle endurance, Schober?s test, trunk flexion test and trunk lateral bending test for spinal flexibility, Oswestry Disability Index for functional disability.Results: There were significant changes in pain severity, trunk muscle strength and endurance, functional level in both groups (p<0.05). When the groups were compared with each other, all the parameters, except spinal flexibility, were significantly different between study and control goup (p<0.05).Conclusion: This study showed that ball exercises were more effective than mat exercises and these exercises must take place in exercise programs for patients with NCLBP.Key words: Nonspecific chronic low back pain, ball exercises, mat exercises, stable/unstable surface.