Avaliação da eficácia de um programa de "Escola de Coluna" para lombalgia crônica inespecífica

The Back School has been used to prevent and to treat back pain since 1969, however its effectiveness still is controversy in literature. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a program of "Back School" in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain, directed by rheumatologists and orthopedic doctors to Physiotherapy School Clinic of Universidade Potiguar (UnP) Natal/RN- Brazil, in period of May/2002 to December/2003. Seventy patients, with age varying from 18 to 60 years, were randomized in two groups: Experimental group (group A) with 34 patients, which was subdivided in groups with 6 to 8 components. This group participated of a theoretician and practical program of Back School with 4 lessons, one day per week, with 60 minutes of duration; to the Control group (group B), with 36 patients, was explained that the group should stay four months in a waiting list . Both groups, had been carried through three evaluations, by a blind, to patient group, independent observer: initial evaluation, after four and sixteen weeks. The following variables were analyzed: pain intensity, measured by analog visual scale (AVS), functional disability, measured by disability questionnaire of Roland and Morris and the spinal mobility measured by Schöber s method. In statistical analysis it was used variance analysis ANOVA, the test of Newman-Keuls multiple comparations, and the Pearson correlation coefficient, with significance level p<0.05. Thirteen patients (18,6%) didn t complete the evaluations, (5 from experimental group and 8 from control group). At last, 57 patients were studied, (29 from Experimental group and 28 from Control group), it was observed a significant statistical improve just for Experimental group in variables pain intensity (p=0,0001), functional disability