Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Therapeutic education for patients with low
back pain. Implementation of a program in a
Spa Center and monitoring the quality
Forestier R (1) , Françon A (1) , Esteve M (2) , Briacon G (2)
(1) Centre for Rheumatology and Balneotherapy Research, Aix Les Bains, France
(2) Thermes Nationaux d\'Aix Les Bains. France
romain.forestier@wanadoo.fr
Introduction and Objectives
Low back pain is a public health problem resulting in a significant disability for
patients and high costs for the social insurance system.
Many studies show that sedentary lifestyle and apprehension in activity promote
transition to the chronic stage.
Spa centers, in which thousands of patients with low back pain are treated every
year, could be an ideal location to conduct patient education program, aiming to
restore the confidence of patients in physical activity.
The implementation and quality monitoring of a therapeutic education program
focused on chronic low back pain in the spa center of Aix-les-Bains is presented.
Materials and Methods
Implementation of the education program
The program is delivered by a physiotherapist, a gym teacher and a psychologist.
It is intended for patients admitted to 5 days spa treatment. The education program
is delivered in addition to the usual spa treatment.
It begins with a personal interview, conducted by the physiotherapist, who seeks
the patient\'s needs, expectations, and responsiveness to education. It assesses the
patient\'s personal resources and leads to a personalized education program that
defines the skills to be acquired. Patients complete two self-administered questionnaire
during this initial evaluation: the OSWESTRY (which assesses the impact of
low back pain on daily activities) and FABQ (which assesses fears and beliefs of
the patient about the back pain ).
With the guidance of physiotherapist, patient chooses the personal program, in a
panel of workshops that include aerobic exercises, water exercises, relaxation and
sophrology, information on low back pain and a session based on the back book.
The physiotherapist completes the initial interview by giving the patient a booklet
of therapeutic education that includes information about chronic low back pain
inspired from the Back Book, an illustrated reminder of movements that will be
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 162-163
162
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4