The Effectiveness of Global Postural Reeducation Method (GPR) and Conventional Kinesiotherapy on the Treatment of Spine Chronic Pain: Controlled Randomized Trial.

INTERVENTION: ‐ Group 1: subjects were submitted to two sessions per week (each session during one hour) for a total of 16 individual sessions of the Global Postural Reeducation Method led by an expert physiotherapist [Global Postural Reeducation Method uses various global postures to stretch the muscle chains. These postures are sustained actively by the patient, making the muscles that are being stretched maintain excentric isometric contraction. The physiotherapist leads the therapy, not allowing compensations, making the patient correct him(her)self and requesting brief and soft isometric contractions of muscles that are in pain during the postures. It is a proprioceptive inhibition method that aims muscle relaxation and stretching, pain relief, breathing release and postural rebalance]; ‐ Group 2: subjects were submitted to two individual sessions per week (each session during one hour) for a total of 16 sessions of Conventional Kinesiotherapy (segmental stretch exercise) [The Conventional Kinesiotherapy consists in segmentar stretching exercises of various muscles involved in body posture. These stretching exercises were performed in active and assisted‐active ways. Each one was performed five times and sustained for thirty seconds in each repetition. Examples of stretched muscles: paravertebrals, ischiotibials, among others]; ‐ Group 3: control ‐ no treatment. CONDITION: chronic low back pain chronic neck pain chronic thoracic pain spine chronic pain PRIMARY OUTCOME: Functional Disability: Brazilian version of Roland‐Morris Questionnaire. Intensity of Pain: Visual Analogue Scale and a portuguese version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire. Quality of Life: Brazilian version of SF‐36 Questionnaire (all domains). SECONDARY OUTCOME: Anterior Spine Flexion Measure: ; ‐ forefinger‐to‐floor index; ; ‐ computerized photogrammetry. Postural Evaluation measured by Computerized Photogrammetry made with ALCImagem Software. Respiratory Function Evaluation performed by: Manovacuometry, Expiratory Peak Flow and Thoracic Perimetry. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Subjects who have mechanical chronic pain in any segment of the spine (neck, thorax and/or low back) lasting at least three months.