The gym ball as a chair for the back pain patient: a two case report.

The popularity of the gym ball has led to its increased use in programs designed for fitness, rehabilitation and prevention. Some people are using the gym ball to replace the office chair and others are sitting on it at home, which has created some controversy among therapists, researchers, ergonomics experts and the general public. The controversy is due in part to a lack of knowledge and experience with this application for the gym ball. Both patients in this report were suffering with low back pain, and both improved when they began consistently using the gym ball. There are two reasons for case presentations, to document a treatment of a condition and to promote discussion that may lead to research. This presentation will hopefully accomplish this.