Quick Fact Sheet

Can Spinal Surgery Be Prevented by Aggressive Strengthening Exercises? A Prospective Study of Cervical and Lumbar Patients
Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Vol 80: pp20-25. 1999
BW Nelson, MD Carpenter, TE Dreisinger, M. Mitchell, CE Kelly, JA Wegner.

Even patients with severe pain were able to exercise vigorously without danger.

At an average of 16 months after completing rehab, 35 out of 38 patients previously recommended for spinal surgery were able to avoid it by undergoing an aggressive exercise program on their neck or low back. The study included patients with cervical/lumbar herniated disc, and lumbar spondylolisthesis.

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The Clinical Effects of Intensive, Specific Exercise on Chronic Low-Back Pain: A Controlled Study of 895 Consecutive Patients with One Year Follow-Up
Orthopedics 18(10): 971-981; October 1995
BW Nelson, EJ O’Reilly, M. Miller, et. Al.

76% of patients had good or excellent results.

Patients with either radicular or referred leg pain (over half of all patients) responded just as well as patients with isolated low back pain.

Prior to their evaluation, patients had seen on average three physicians and had failed six different treatment options including, for example, chiropractic, epidural injections, facet injections, ultrasound, traction, medication, and electrical stimulation.

Results were independent of diagnosis. Spinal fitness was crucial, regardless of underlying condition.

Patients completing the MedX program had dramatically less (68%) medical reutilization in the year after discharge than comparable control group patients treated with passive modalities.

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Restorative Exercise for Clinical Low Back Pain
Spine 24(9): 889-898. May 1999
S. Leggett, V. Mooney, L Matheson, BW Nelson, T Dreisinger, J VanZytveld, L Vie.

Separate clinics (California and Minnesota) using similar exercise-only protocols were able to achieve comparable excellent results with comparable patients.

Reutilization was dramatically reduced at both clinics to almost identical levels, thus validating the results of each. In the year after completion of treatment only 12% of patients at the clinic in Minnesota (Physicians Neck and Back Clinic) needed to re-enter the health care system for spinal problems.


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Effect of resistance training volume on strength and muscle thickness
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise Vol. 28, No. 10, 1996
Starkey, David B.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of different volumes of high-intensity resistance training on isometric torque and muscle thickness. Training was conducted three times per week using one set (low volume, EX-1, N = 18) or three sets (high volume, EX-3, N = 20) of dynamic variable resistance exercise. Ten subjects acted as nontraining controls (CONT). Bilateral knee extension (KEXT) and flexion (FLEX) exercise was performed to fatigue within 8-12 repetitions for 14 wk. Maximal isometric KEXT and KFLEX torque was tested at 6°, 24°, 42°, 60°, 78°, 96°, and 108° of KFLEX using a MedX (Ocala, FL) KEXT/KFLEX ergometer.

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Low Back Strengthening for the Prevention and Treatment of Low Back Pain
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 18-24. 1999.
DM Carpenter, BW Nelson.

Directing surgical candidates to an aggressive spinal exercise program prior to surgery can cut medical costs for spinal care significantly.

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