[Results of a comparative study of the success of treatment of pain in the lumbar spine at the Moravske Toplice health spa, at the department of physical therapy and rehabilitation and at the department of rheumatology of the Maribor Teaching Hospital].

A parallel investigation of the success of treating patients with chronic low back pain has been carried out at the Moravci Spa, at the Department for Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and at the Rheumatology Department of Maribor Teaching Hospital. One hundred patients suffering from low-back pain were given a 14-day treatment in the termomineral water (T--36 degrees C) of the Moravci Spa. A comparative group of another 100 patients also suffering from pain in the lumbar region of the spine underwent equal balneo-physical treatment in plain water (T--32 degrees C) at the Dept. for Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation and at the Dept. of Rheumatology at Maribor Teaching Hospital, Slovenia. The educational background of the two groups features a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001): the percentage of patients with lower education was higher at the Moravci Spa (67%) compared with only 46% among those treated at Maribor Teaching Hospital. Correspondingly, the difference in occupation of the two groups were similar (p < 0.005): prevalent among the patients at Moravci Spa were bluecollar workers (40%) compared with white-collar workers (27%). The percentage of white-collar workers at Maribor Teaching Hospital was 45%. The average age of the patients treated at the Moravci Spa was 46.9 +/- 9.5 years (28-77 years), at Maribor Teaching Hospital it was 45.2 +/- 8.2 years (26-71 years). There was no statistically significant difference in age (p < 0.10) between the two groups. Generalized spondylochondrosis was present in both groups, i.e. 87%; approximately 10% of the patients from both groups underwent surgical treatment of hernia disci.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

RCT Entities:   Population Interventions Outcomes