Short-term effects of exergaming on patients with chronic low back pain: A single-blind randomized controlled trial

Background: Exergaming is increasingly popular, but its impact on chronic low back pain (CLBP) remain unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of exergaming versus traditional exercise for managing CLBP using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework.

Methods: This single-blind, randomized controlled trial included 70 participants with CLBP, who were assigned to either the exergaming or traditional exercise group. Both groups received 2 weeks of treatment with six sessions. Assessments included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), range of motion, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), balance (Biodex Stability System), Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), and physical performance tests.

Results: After six sessions over 2 weeks, the exergaming group showed significant improvements over the exercise group in ODI (p < 0.001), chair-rising time (p = 0.001), stair ascent (p = 0.025) and descent times (p < 0.001), flexion (p = 0.005), extension (p = 0.001), balance (p = 0.012), and FABQ subscales (physical activity: p = 0.003; work: p < 0.001) at the 3-month follow-up. Group × time interaction effects favored exergaming for ODI (p = 0.012), chair-rising (p = 0.045), stair ascent (p = 0.010), and descent (p = 0.002) times. While these changes did not meet clinical significance, exergaming was not inferior to traditional exercise in improving spinal motion, physical performance, fear-avoidance beliefs, and disability.

Conclusion: Exergaming appears to be a viable supplementary therapy for patients with CLBP, offering benefits across all ICF domains. Future studies with longer intervention durations are needed to assess its long-term effects.