Authors (including presenting author) :
Lam WC(1), Tang WS(1), Wan HY(1), Suen CH(1), Lam SW(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Physiotherapy Department, Yan Chai Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Low back pain
Keyword 2: :
Back exercise program
Keyword 3: :
Artificial intelligence
Introduction :
Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability globally, significantly affecting daily activities, mental health, and quality of life. Unfortunately, patients frequently face long waiting times for initial physiotherapy appointments, exacerbating their condition. Patients also lack an individualized home exercise program to maintain treatment effect after physiotherapy sessions. To address this critical issue, we propose a back class program that integrates home-based exercise designed with the assistance of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) to promote patient care. A variety of bank exercises is included into the database of Gen AI. Upon discharge of therapy, characteristics of the patient like age, level of pain score, level of activity will be collected. With the assistance of the AI tool for analysis, an individualized home back exercise program is generated and reviewed by physiotherapists with professional judgement. The exercise will be prescribed via HAGO rehabilitation training schedule. This innovative approach with the use of Gen AI can simplify the process of individualized home exercise prescription for physiotherapists and ensure home exercise programs are prescribed according to objective parameters. By incorporating 4 group sessions with an individualized home exercise program, it maintains exercise adherence and sustains the benefits over time. Ultimately, this model aims to reduce waiting times by reducing re-visit rates, enhance clinical outcomes, and improve the overall quality of life for individuals suffering from low back pain.
Objectives :
To evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of the structured back exercise programs with artificial intelligence-designed home-based exercise programs for patients with chronic low back pain.
Methodology :
The study recruited patients with non-acute injuries and chronic low back pain (LBP). An initial assessment was conducted to triage participants, determining their appropriateness for either individualized sessions or a group exercise class. Basic low back exercises were introduced to empower patients and foster self-management skills. Based on the results of the triage assessment, patients were assigned to either the exercise class or an individualized program. Participants in the exercise class engaged in four one-hour sessions that emphasized pain relief, mobilization, postural correction, and strengthening exercises, accompanied by a self-management program. This was supplemented by artificial intelligence-designed home-based exercise programs, which aimed to improve the exercise adherence. Outcome measures included the SF-36 for quality of life, the Numeric Global Rating of Change Scale (NGRCS), the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and the Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RMQ), which evaluates functional disability related to LBP. Furthermore, data on attendance at exercise classes and patient confidence in self-management post-program were systematically collected.
Result & Outcome :
Between August 2025 and January 2026, 63 patients were recruited and 43 completed the program. Significant improvements in clinical outcomes are shown, with a mean NGCRS score of 6.81. NPRS decreased from a pre-treatment mean of 4.74 to 1.40 post-treatment. Similarly, RMQ scores improved from 7.51 to 4.04. In the SF-36 questionnaire, patients showed improvement in all sub-scores of physical functioning, role limitation due to physical health, role in limitation due to emotional problems, energy or fatigue, emotional well-being, social functioning, pain and general health. Patients show self-empowerment on the management of low back pain with a mean final confidence score of 6.56 out of 10 in managing low back pain. Overall, the program proved effective in reducing back symptoms, enhancing quality of life, and achieving satisfactory patient empowerment outcomes.
