Effects of isotonic and isometric exercise programmes on patients with chronic mechanical low back pain in selected hospitals in Kano metropolis.

Background: Treadmill training is used for gait rehabilitation after stroke. One of the drawbacks of this technique is that optic
flow The study was carried out to compare the therapeutic effects of isotonic and isometric exercise programmes in the management of
chronic mechanical Low Back Pain (LBP) in Kano metropolis. A total of thirty seven (37) patients comprising male and female aged 20-
50 years old, selected from the population of LBP patients in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH) and Murtala Muhammad Specialist
Hospital (MMSH) using judgmental sampling technique participated in the study. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups;
the first group received isotonic exercises for six weeks conducted three times per week, while the second group received isometric
exercises for six weeks, three times in each week. Subjects were given a visual analogue scale (VAS) and a Rolland-Morris Low Back Pain
disability Questionnaire (R-MDQ) to fill before the commencement of the exercise and at the end of the sixth week. The data obtained
was analyzed using t-test independent samples. Findings of the study showed a significant difference between the post training scores
of the two groups (P<0.05) both in level of pain (VAS) and in functional disability(R-MDQ). It was concluded that Isometric exercises are
more effective than isotonic exercises in the management of chronic mechanical LBP. It is therefore recommended that isometric exercises
should be used more in the treatment of LBP.