The Effectiveness of Trunk Stabilization Exercise Combined with Vibration for Adolescent Patients with Nonspecific Low Back Pain

There are many adolescent patients complaining of low back pain, but research on it is lacking. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of trunk stabilization exercise combined with vibration on the pain, proprioception, and kinematics of the lumbar spine (LS) during sit to stand (STS) in adolescent patients with nonspecific low back pain (LBP). Fifty LBP patients were recruited and were randomly divided into two groups: Vibration group (n = 25) and placebo group (n = 25). All participants underwent 36-sessions of training consisting of six exercises. The Vibration group provided vibration stimulation during exercise, but the placebo group did not. The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and digital dual inclinometer were used to measure pain intensity and proprioception. The kinematics of the lumbar spine during STS were measured by motion capture system. After training, the pain and proprioception in the vibration group improved significantly greater than the placebo group (p < 0.05). The mobility of LS (maximum range of motion, angular velocity, lumbar to hip movement ratios) and lumbar-hip coordination during STS in the vibration group were significantly improved compared to the placebo group (p < 0.05). Thus, trunk stabilization exercise combined with vibration may be used to improve the pain, proprioception, and kinematic of the lumbar spine during sit to stand in adolescent patients with LBP.