Abstract

Lower back pain (LBP) is a medical condition that will affect most of us at some point in our lives. Several medical causes have been identified for LBP, yet the large majority of LBP patients do not receive a specific diagnosis. These patients use up a large majority of health care resources, and accumulate billions of dollars in medical costs in countries throughout the globe. In recent years, an increasing focus has been placed on the idea that aquatic therapy may be an effective therapy for LBP patients. Exercise therapy has already proven itself as an effective means for treating LBP. Thus, combined with the unique properties of water, experts believe that aquatic therapy is the future of LBP treatment. This thesis aims to explore the efficacy of aquatic therapy as a treatment for LBP. Through the analysis of controlled peer-reviewed studies, scholarly information databases, and historical data on LBP treatment, this thesis evaluates the relationship between aquatic therapy and LBP in its entirety. Scientific properties of water have shown its many uses in rehabilitative therapy treatments. Water, in theory, is able to manipulate the exercise environment to allow for more substantial progress to be made. In studies where aquatic therapy was tested versus no treatment, aquatic therapy proved to be a more efficient and effective option. Still, when placed against other therapies, aquatic therapy did not always prove more effective. While the analyzed studies support the idea that aquatic therapy is an effective treatment for LBP, further research is needed to determine how aquatic therapy holds up against other forms of treatment.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2011

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Hanney, William

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Health and Public Affairs

Degree Program

Health Sciences

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Health and Public Affairs;Health and Public Affairs -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0003776

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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