A Web-based Intervention to Improve and Prevent Low Back Pain Among Office Workers: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Del Pozo–Cruz B et al. – A 9 month web–based intervention is feasible and effective to improve function and health related quality of life and to decrease episodes of low back pain among office workers with a history of sub–acute non–specific low back pain.

Methods

• The trial included 100 office workers with sub–acute low back pain.
• The intervention group had access to both the study intervention and standard care.
• The control group had access to standard care only.
• Standard care was defined as all existing non–web–based interventions offered by the University Preventive Medicine Service.
• The web–based program was offered via the Preventive Medicine Service website.
• The participants in the intervention group were asked to engage in the web–based program at their worksite for 11 minutes each day, 5 days a week.
• Primary outcomes were functional disability, as measured by the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and health–related quality of life, as measured by the EQ–5D–3L.
• Secondary outcomes were the number of episodes of low back pain and trunk muscle endurance.
• Outcomes were measured before and after the 9 month intervention period.

Results

• Over the 9–month study, the score on the RMDQ for the participants in the web–based intervention group improved by a mean of –7.36 points (95% CI: –8.41, –6.31) compared to a worsening of 1.89 points (95% CI: 0.71, 2.65) in the control group.
• The between group difference in change on the RMDQ over the study period was –9.25 points (95% CI: –10.57 to –7.89).
• Similarly, over the 9–month study, the intervention group had a significant improvement in quality of life of 0.24 points (95% CI: 0.20 to 0.29) compared to the control group.

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