Efficacy of a Health Education And Self-Awareness Booklet With Specific Therapeutic Exercises Versus Vitamin D3 Supplementation For Managing Chronic Low Back Pain: An Assessor-Blinded, Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial
Abstract
Objective: Maintaining optimal vitamin D3 levels may play a key role in managing chronic low back pain (CLBP) and enhancing functional outcomes. This study aimed to compare the effects of health education and self-awareness booklets versus vitamin D3 supplementation combined with therapeutic exercises on pain intensity, vitamin D levels, and functional disability in individuals with CLBP.
Material and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at two physiotherapy rehabilitation centers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, involving 84 participants with chronic low back pain (CLBP), randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A received specific therapeutic exercises and a health education/self-awareness booklet, while Group B received vitamin D3 supplementation alongside the same exercises over a three-month period. Primary outcomes included pain intensity (assessed via the Brief Pain Inventory) and serum vitamin D3 levels. Functional disability, measured using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), served as the secondary outcome. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention, with a per-protocol analysis applied.
Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in pain intensity and functional disability following the intervention (p-value<0.001). However, Group B showed significantly greater reductions in disability scores (p-value<0.001), which corresponded with a marked increase in serum vitamin D3 levels (p-value<0.001).
Conclusion: Both interventions were effective in reducing pain and disability in individuals with CLBP. However, the addition of vitamin D3 supplementation led to significantly greater improvements, highlighting its potential role in enhancing the efficacy of conservative CLBP management.
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