Gamified delivery of at-home rehabilitation for individuals with nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Luk Devorski; Aravinthan Suppiah; David H Fukuda; Jeffrey Stout; Christopher D Ingersoll; L Colby Mangum

doi:10.1080/09638288.2024.2368694

Gamified delivery of at-home rehabilitation for individuals with nonspecific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Disabil Rehabil. 2024 Jun 20:1-7. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2368694. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Luk Devorski¹, Aravinthan Suppiah^{2

3}, David H Fukuda^{4

5}, Jeffrey Stout^{4

5}, Christopher D Ingersoll⁴, L Colby Mangum^{4

6}

Affiliations

¹ Sport, Wellness, Exercise Physiology and Athletic Training (SWEAT) Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Saint Joseph's University, Lower Merion, PA, USA.
² College of Medicine, University of Central FL, Orlando, FL, USA.
³ Functional Sports Medicine TM Institute, Orlando, FL, USA.
⁴ College of Health Professions and Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
⁵ Physiology of Work & Exercise Response (POWER) Laboratory, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.
⁶ Rehabilitation, Athletic assessment, & Dynamic Imaging (READY) Laboratory, Institute of Exercise Physiology and Rehabilitation Science, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA.

PMID: 38899776
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2024.2368694

Abstract

Purpose: To measure the change in pain and disability during and after a 6-week gamified delivery of home exercise compared to a take-home packet.

Materials and methods: A 6-week at-home exercise protocol included participants randomly allocated to a gamified delivery group or packet group. The exercise protocol included the plank, side plank, foot elevated side plank, dead bug, and bird dog completed until discontinuation. The gamified delivery group received on-demand exercise videos and weekly exercise duration leaderboards. The packet group received a take-home packet.

Results: Forty participants were randomized into a packet group and leaderboard group, and 30 participants completed the study. Disability was significantly lower at 6-weeks (11.29 ± 9.81%) compared to baseline (15.93 ± 11.65%) in the packet group (χ²(2) =10.89, Z= -3.163, p=.002, r=.708). Percent disability was significantly lower at 6-weeks (8.00 ± 5.91%) compared to baseline (13.01 ± 7.17%) in the gamified delivery group (χ²(2) =13.235, Z= -3.399, p= <.001, r= -0.760). Worst pain was higher at baseline (7.05 ± 1.61%) than at 6-weeks (5.75 ± 1.68%) in the packet group (χ²(2) =8.067, Z = 2.760, p=.006, r= -0.617). Worst pain was higher at baseline (6.90 ± 1.33%) than at 6-weeks (5.24 ± 2.38%) in the gamified delivery group (χ²(2) =6.250, Z= -2.810, p=.005, r= -0.628). No significant difference in the change of disability from baseline to 6 weeks was found between groups (p=.483).

Conclusions: Core exercises completed until failure may improve disability and pain at 6-weeks and positively influence perceived patient improvement.Registry: Clinicaltrials.gov; Registration number: NCT05573932.

Keywords: Nonspecific low back pain; core exercise; disability; gamification; rehabilitation.

Plain language summary

Nonspecific low back pain affects individuals on a personal, societal and economic level.Both interventions and exercises in this study influenced disability and pain, the outcome variables most important to individuals suffering from nonspecific low back pain.Targeting core musculature during at-home exercise may decrease pain and disability in the nonspecific low back pain population.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT05573932