A Comparison of the McKenzie Approach to a Specific Spine Stabilization Program for Chronic Low Back Pain

The purpose of this randomized pragmatic controlled trial was to compare the effectiveness of two specific treatment approaches for patients with chronic low back pain. Thirty subjects with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to either a McKenzie group or a specific stabilization group. The Functional Status Questionnaire, short-form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and passive straight leg raising (SLR) were administered at the initial examination and following a 6-week treatment program. Wilcoxon Signed-Ranks tests, and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to analyze the data. The stabilization group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in pain scores and in SLR range of the involved lower extremity (p<0.05). The McKenzie group improved in the present pain index of the SF-MPQ only (p<0.05). Between-group comparisons of changes in the dependent variable scores revealed no statistical differences between the groups.