The reintroduction of an exercise program to directly treat low back pain of muscular origin.

Overview

Decades of debate have yet to yield a universal solution to the treatment of low back pain, a problem that afflicts 80% of adults in the United States at some point of their lives [1,2]. Exercise, in general, has become widely recognized as playing a large role in the rehabilitation of back pain sufferers. Yet, there is no consensus on which types of exercises to utilize. Most exercise techniques address the muscles with the specific purpose of impacting the skeleton or the spinal cord and nerve roots, rather than the muscles themselves. This reinforces the notion that muscles are not the direct source of pain, but rather only reflect pathology elsewhere. We reintroduce a rational exercise regimen first developed by Hans Kraus, M.D. in 1949. This regimen was shaped over a period of several years, through usage by thousands of back pain sufferers. It directly addresses specific trunk muscle deficiencies and tension, which are postulated by the authors to be the major factors producing low back pain. The exercise protocol has shown to be highly effective and inexpensive to administer on a wide-scale basis. Recent clinical experiences utilizing the Kraus techniques are discussed.