A critical appraisal of "Impact of exercise programs among helicopter pilots with transient LBP"

Introduction: Understanding the treatment options available for treating individuals with low back pain is applicable for clinicians and may have beneficial outcomes for a large percentage of the population. For this reason, this paper sought to examine evidence pertaining to the effectiveness of exercise in reducing the incidence of low back pain, specifically in helicopter pilots. Methods: A systematic search was done of the available literature to examine evidence pertaining to the clinical question. An article by Andersen et.al. was collected and analyzed to determine the validity of the evidence. This group of researchers had performed several preceding studies, so their expertise could provide novel insight into the topic of interest. Results: The article performed a quasi-experimental trial on the population of interest in order to add to the body of knowledge concerning exercise benefits and effectiveness in reducing low back pain, and provided support to the option of using physical activity in reducing low back pain associated with helicopter pilots. More evidence was supplied by the study, however the validity of the study methods hinders the application of the results. Discussion: Exercise is effective in reducing the low back pain experienced by helicopter pilots. The novel exercises presented by the research group do not have enough support to warrant their implementation over traditional exercise techniques. There may be clinical applications for the movements performed, but the most effective treatment for low back pain in helicopter pilots still appears to be exercise in general.