Lower back pain prevention with the aid of exercise

Današnji način življenja se razlikuje od načina življenja naših starih staršev in predhodnih generacij. Veliko časa preživimo v okolju, kjer prevladujejo sedeče aktivnosti, sama telesna aktivnost pa je zapostavljena. Z magistrskim delom smo želeli ugotoviti nekatere pokazatelje življenjskega sloga zaposlenih in učinek 6-tedenskega programa vadbe na izboljšanje moči ter vpliv na zmanjšanje nespecifičnih bolečin v ledvenem delu hrbta. V raziskavo je bilo vključenih 12 merjenk, ki so predstavljale kontrolno in eksperimentalno skupino. Zaposlene so v sedečih poklicih ali v kombinaciji sedečega in stoječega poklica ter nimajo večjih zdravstvenih težav. Vse preizkušanke so se v zadnjem letu soočale z nespecifično bolečino v ledvenem delu hrbta, njihova povprečna starost je 42 ± 10 let. Merjenke smo izmerili trikrat, prva in druga meritev sta predstavljali rezultate kontrolne skupine, druga in tretja meritev pa rezultate eksperimentalne skupine. Med vsako meritvijo je poteklo 6 tednov. Merjenke v eksperimentalni skupini so tedensko izvedle dve 60-minutni vadbeni enoti v telovadnici in tri vadbene enote v obsegu od 10 do 15 minut doma. Pridobljene podatke testov moči smo analizirali s pomočjo programa SPSS, zmanjšanje nespecifičnih bolečin v ledvenem delu hrbta pa s pomočjo vprašalnika. Rezultati so pokazali, da imajo merjenke pretežno sedeč življenjski slog v prostem času in nekatere tudi v službi. Ugotovili smo, da ima vadbeni program statistično značilen pozitiven učinek na mišično moč upogibalk trupa, iztegovalk kolka, bočnih upogibalk trupa in iztegovalk hrbta. S pomočjo vprašalnika smo ugotovili, da se je merjenkam nespecifična bolečina v križu zmanjšala. Na podlagi dobljenih rezultatov lahko sklepamo, da ima vadbeni program pozitiven učinek na razvoj mišične moči in zmanjšanje nespecifičnih bolečin v ledvenem delu hrbta. Magistrsko delo zajema program vadbe za zmanjševanje in preprečevanje bolečin v ledvenem delu hrbta s pomočjo vadbe. Namenjeno je razvoju znanosti na področju vadbe za preprečevanje nespecifičnih bolečin v ledvenem delu hrbta in populaciji, ki se s to težavo sooča.The lifestyle of current generations differs greatly from how our grandparents and their ancestors used to live. We spend a lot of time in an environment where sedentary activities are predominant, as opposed to physical activity, which is often neglected. This master’s thesis aims to discover some of the indicators of certain types of lifestyle when it comes to the working population. It also studies the effects of a six-week training programme on strength and non-specific lower back pain. There were twelve female participants in the study, who represented both the control and the experimental group. The women come from professions which require sitting or a combination of standing up and sitting and they do not have any major health problems. The participants’ average age is 42±10 and they have all experienced non-specific lower back pain in the past year. Measurements were carried out three times: the results of the first and the second measurement served as the results of the control group, and the results of the second and the third measurement served as the results of the experimental group. Six weeks passed between each round of measurements. Participants in the experimental group did two 60-minute exercise sessions twice a week at the gym and three 10-15-minute sessions three times a week at home. The data gathered during muscle strength tests was analysed using the SPSS program, whereas the data regarding the reduction in lower back pain was collected with a questionnaire. The results have shown that the participants have a predominantly sedentary lifestyle in their free time, and, additionally, some of them spend most of the time sitting at work. The benefits of the used exercise regime have also been discovered: statistically, the programme has a positive impact on the muscle strength of trunk flexion muscles, hip adductor muscles, lateral trunk flexion muscles, and back adductor muscles. With the aid of the questionnaire we have discovered that the participants’ non-specific lower back pain was reduced. On the basis of the results of this study it can be concluded that an exercise programme has a positive impact on muscle strengthening and the reduction of non-specific lumbar back pain. This master’s thesis contains an exercise programme for lower back pain reduction and prevention. Additionally, this master’s thesis aims to develop scientific research in the field of exercise for non-specific lower back pain prevention, with the target audience being the population which faces this problem