Effects of the treatment of acute lumbar painful syndrome (ALPS) by "PRAXIS METHOD" during the period from 1996 to 2000.

Acute lumbar syndrome occurs suddenly and is accompanied with strong pain in the lower part of the back. The most frequent APLS causes are vertebral (herniation of intervertebral disc, subluxation of intervertebral disc, subluxation of intervertebral joint, fracture of vertebra--traumatic or pathological), or extravertebral (subluxation of sacroiliac joint, acute bursitis of iliolumbar segment, muscle injuries or injuries of tendo-ligamentous apparatus of lumbosacral region). The treatment of acute lumbar painful syndrome is classified as medical, alternatively medical, surgical and combined. On the basis of durable experience, "Praxis method" as a treatment of lumbar pain (general and acute) is being applied in the Centre for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation "Praxis" in Sarajevo. During the period from 1996 to 2000, the total number of 5.663 patients were examined in the centre "Praxis". Out of that number, 17.7% (1.003) of patients had acute lumbar painful syndrome (ALPS). Immediately after the therapeutic manipulation, which included "Praxis method, 31.5% (317) patients experienced the cessation of pains followed by ending of the treatment. The length of treatment for the rest of patients lasted: 1-7 days in 412 or 41.07 % of patients, 8-21 days in 195 or 19.48% of patients, and more than 21 days in 79 or 7.88% of patients. For all patients (1.003) the average treatment duration was 6.6 days. The recidivation occurred in 127 patients (12.66%). Throughout the treatment successfulness estimation according to clinical results scaled from 0 to 5, it was confirmed that out of the total number of 831 patients (82.85%) results were excellent in 459 patients (45.76%) or very good in 372 patients (35.09%). The average age of patients was ranging between 35 and 45 years (621 patients or 61.9%). The male/female distribution was 2:1.