Telerehabilitation for the treatment in chronic low back pain: A randomized controlled trial.
OrthoEvidence Journal (OE Journal) - ACE Report
OE Journal. 2025;13(17):22 J Telemed Telecare . 2025 Jun;31(5):637-646.What this means for my practice?
A well-structured, supervised telerehabilitation program can deliver pain, function (ROM), and fear-of-movement improvements comparable to in-clinic exercise for chronic nonspecific low back pain. Clinically, this supports remote delivery to expand access without sacrificing efficacy, while monitoring for ROM progress that may respond slightly better to in-person supervision. Limitations include a single-center sample, short-to-mid-term follow-up, baseline imbalances in a few measures, and multiple outcomes without a single prespecified primary endpoint.
Study Summary
Sixty-eight patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain were randomized to telerehabilitation (TLRH) (n=34) or clinic-based rehabilitation (n=34). Both groups received identical exercise progressions (two 30-min sessions/week for 8 weeks) and pain-neuroscience education; TLRH used WhatsApp/video plus weekly follow-ups, while the clinic group trained in person. The primary analytic target was time-by-group interaction for pain during lumbar movements and standardized tests, range of motion (ROM) on rocking-backward and knee-extended tests, double-straight-leg test performance, and kinesiophobia; kinesiophobia was also reassessed at 12 weeks. Overall, the results of the study revealed comparable improvements across most outcomes, with TLRH showing greater reductions in kinesiophobia and pain during the left knee-extended test, while clinic care produced larger ROM gains on the knee-extended test. In short, an 8-week, supervised telerehabilitation program was as effective as clinic-based exercise for key clinical outcomes in chronic low back pain.
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