Effect of the Diaphragm Stretching Technique on Symptomatology in Young Adults With Nonspecific Low Back Pain: RCT

Nonspecific low back pain occurs when there is an imbalance in the lower back between functional load and the ability to perform daily tasks. It is characterized as such when there is no specific and well-determined diagnosis and there are no structural changes.

The diaphragm and abdominal muscles together create a hydraulic effect in the abdominal cavity, which helps stabilize the spine, providing rigidity to the lumbar spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Diaphragmatic changes in patients diagnosed with low back pain may contribute to the lack of spinal control activity through several mechanisms. Thus, it is concluded that the diaphragm is anatomically related to the lumbar spine, through its muscle fibers.

There are articles that relate the topic of low back pain with Osteopathic Manual Treatment, demonstrating that, despite this lack of scientific evidence, the results obtained at a clinical level are favorable.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of diaphragm stretching techniques on symptoms experienced by young adults with non-specific low back pain.

In this study, the investigators will analyze the effects of the diaphragm stretching technique on the following variables: the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure test (SNIP test) , Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, the Schober test and measurement of the distance between the fingers and the ground during anterior flexion of the trunk, without flexion of the lower limbs (also known as the Finger Tip Test).