BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Low back pain is a common and costly problem in pregnancy. It is one of the main reasons of disability and absence from work with extremly direct and indirect economical impact. Women are more prone to low back pain and pregnancy is one of the predisposition. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of an exercise program and ergonomic advices on the treatment of low back pain in pregnant women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following ethical approval and through a randomized controlled clinical trial, 120 pregnant women with low back pain were recruited into experimental and control groups. The experimental group (n = 60) received therapeutic exercise combined with ergonomic advices and the control group (n = 60) was given no intervention. Pain experienced by patients was assessed using visual analogue scale and functional disability on Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire after the planned intervention within three months follow-up. RESULTS: Intra-group changes indicated that there was a significant reduction on pain intensity and functional disability in the experimental group (p < 0.01 in both instances) but no such difference was found in the control group (p > 0.05). Inter-groups changes showed significant improvements in both pain intensity and functional disability following intervention (p < 0.01) in the experimental group in comparison with the control group (p < 0.01 in both instances). The significance of differences held up within three months follow-up between the two groups (p < 0.01 in both instances). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that therapeutic exercise and ergonomic advices could be considered as effective approaches in the treatment of low back pain during pregnancy. Therefore, we offer regular exercise and ergonomic advices during pregnancy and afterwards in order to prevent and to control low back pain.

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