Combined and Aquatic Exercise in Chronic Low Back Pain
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Aquatic-exercise Program, Land-based Exercise Program, Home-based Exercise Program.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Chronic Low-back Pain (cLBP). Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Portugal
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Effects of Combined-exercise and Aquatic-exercise on Pain, Disability and Functional Capacity in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain
Overview
The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to evaluate the effects of a combined aquatic- and land-based exercise program, as well as an aquatic-exercise program, compared with a control group receiving home-based exercise, on pain, disability, and functional capacity in adults with CLBP. Secondary objectives include examining the effects on fear of movement, anxiety and depression, quadriceps and hand-grip strength, and lumbar mobility. The main question it aims to answer is: "Which type of exercise program is most effective at improving pain, disability, functional capacity, fear of movement, anxiety and depression, quadriceps and hand-grip strength, and lumbar mobility in adults with chronic low back pain?". Participants will perform an aquatic-based exercise program (aquatic group), a combined aquatic and land-based exercise program (aquatic and land group), or a land-based exercise program (home group). Researchers will compare groups to find any differences in pain, disability, functional capacity, kinesiophobia, anxiety and depression, quadriceps and hand-grip strength, and lumbar mobility.
Interventions
- Other Aquatic-exercise Program
This intervention will consist of an aquatic-exercise program, performed in shallow water (120-150 cm deep) at a temperature of 32-34 °C, and supervised by a physiotherapist with over two years of experience in aquatic-based exercise and Ai Chi method. The aquatic-exercise sessions, will consist of a 5-minute warm-up phase, a 30-40-minute training phase, and a 10-15-minute relaxation/cool-down phase, adapted from Ai Chi exercise positions. The Ai Chi method consists of 19 katas (movements) that - Other Land-based Exercise Program
This program will include specific land-based exercises, supervised by a physiotherapist with more than two years of experience in therapeutic exercise. The land-based exercise program, will be divided into three components: core stability exercises (15-20 minutes), trunk and lower limb stretching exercises (10-15 minutes), and relaxation/coordination exercises adapted from the Ai Chi method (10-15 minutes). - Other Home-based Exercise Program
This exercise program will consist of a home-based exercise program. Each session will last 20-30 minutes and will be performed individually at home without professional supervision. The home-based exercise program will include core stability exercises that progress from the supine to the quadruped position. It will mirror the land-based exercise program and is adapted from a previous unsupervised home-based protocol.
Primary outcome measures
- Visual Analogue Scale [Time frame: One measurement will be assessed at baseline and one at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Oswestry Disability Index - version 2.0 [Time frame: One measurement will be assessed at baseline and one at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Short Physical Performance Battery [Time frame: One measurement will be assessed at baseline and one at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
Secondary outcome measures (5)
- Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia-13 [Time frame: One measurement will be assessed at baseline and one at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [Time frame: One measurement will be assessed at baseline and one at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Fixed Handheld Dynamometry for Assessing Quadriceps Strength [Time frame: Three measurements will be assessed at baseline and three at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Hand-Grip Dynamometry [Time frame: Three measurements will be assessed at baseline and three at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
- Modified-Modified Schober Test [Time frame: Three measurements will be assessed at baseline and three at each follow-up (8 and 12 weeks).]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- all genders;
- aged over 18 years;
- Chronic Low Back Pain lasting three months or longer and with an intensity of 3 or higher on the Visual Analogue Scale at rest.
Exclusion criteria
- Individuals who refuse to participate or do not provide informed consent;
- Pain radiating to the lower limb;
- Recent pregnancy or childbirth (less than 8 weeks ago);
- Ongoing physical therapy treatments;
- Severe rheumatological, neurological, neoplastic, cardiovascular diseases or other conditions that could prevent full participation in the intervention;
- History of spinal surgery;
- Inflammatory, infectious, or malignant spinal diseases;
- Psychiatric disorders that may affect adherence and symptom assessment.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
Study locations
Portugal · 1 center
- University of Beira Interior — Covilha
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07732595 · CE-UBI-Pj-2026-064