The impact of working capacity rehabilitation programs to low back pain in vocational rehabiltation

2003 in Lithuania 2064 people were admit as being disabled due to back problems. Usually medical treatment or rehabilitation is not focused on the person’s return to work. The work oriented vocational rehabilitation should be an opportunity to retain previous work place and/or avoid chronic and permanent disability. Vocational rehabilitation in International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health classification is defined primarily as functional testing and rehabilitation interventions in complex focused on an activation of the person and the promotion of participation in professional activities. The Functional capacity evaluation methodology (FPV) is applied to assess the client's functional capabilities and weaknesses ergonomically to perform any work. Firstly is necessary to investigate and to train the basic physical functions in rehabilitation ergonomic on optimal integration of professional attitude. The aim of this thesis is to determine the impact of work rehabilitation programs for low back pain in vocational rehabilitation. Objectives: 1. To evaluate the functional capacity of the subjects' at the beginning and at the end of recovery phase of vocational rehabilitation. 2. To evaluate the person’ pain at the beginning and at the end of recovery phase of vocational rehabilitation. 3. To evaluate the patient self-assessment questionnaire and at the end of recovery phase of vocational rehabilitation. Methodology Research accounted for 50 clients (mean age 4.6 ± 3.30 years) who entered to the vocational rehabilitation of which 10 were women and 40 men. All clients participated in the study was diagnosed the low working capacity (35% -65%) due to neurological disease that is spinal cord injury and all of them complained about the decline in functionality for chronic low back pain. In the experimental group (n = 25) was used for work rehabilitation program with weight lifting exercises and a in the control group (n = 25) was applied to physical therapy without weight lifting exercises. Working capacity skills at the beginning and at the end of recovery stage of vocational rehabilitation was assessed of the functional capacity of the client (FPV test) completed self-assessment questionnaire (PACT) and the evaluated low back pain intensity (SAA). Mathematical Statistics was performed using the software Microsoft ® Excel 2003 package. Results: It was found that the ability to work with the recovery program of weight training exercises have a greater impact on functional capacity and low back pain in vocational rehabilitation. Conclusions: 1. The functional capacity of experimental group in aspect of raising the weight before and after the rehabilitation program has statistically significant difference p 0.05. 2. In both, control and test groups, the amount of pain felt after the work rehabilitation program has statistically significant difference p