Acute effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation exercises on the postural strategy in patients with chronic low back pain

Introduction: Active treatments focused on improvement in motor function are postulated in chronic low back patients (CLBP). Objective: to establish the acute effects of PNF exercise on the postural control strategy. Methods: The sway of the body was tested before intervention in fifty-three CLBP patients and after that participants were randomly assigned into the intervention PNF group (n = 25). Mean velocity (VEL) and sample entropy (SEn), over the center of pressure in the mediolateral (ML) and anteriorposterior (AP) planes served to estimate the postural strategy and automaticity levels in the neuromuscular controller. Tandem and one-leg standing tests (OLST) with eyes open and eyes closed were used. Results: Pain intensity decreased after the intervention. The VEL was no longer vision-dependent in both planes. The SEn decreased immediately after the exercise and either returned to or even exceeded the baseline values in the OLST ML plane. Conclusion: A single session of PNF exercise may have a beneficial effect on pain and postural control in CLBP patients. The statistically significant pain relief combined with newly acquired better control of posture may have encouraged the PNF group participants to a subconscious exploration of the stability area. Postural movements were more automatized in OLST in the delayed test.