Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine 51-1CompleteIssue | Page 71

G. Müller et al.
sessions, increasing intensity) and a consecutive home
exercise programme (42% regular participation rate).
The combination of strength and movement exercise
with back-friendly daily motor activity training was
selected, since physical exercise and back schools
with a high physical training component witness the
therapeutic effects on chronic back pain (10, 31–34).
Further studies should examine in more differentiated
fashion the question posed in this study of to what ex-
tent the effectiveness of back exercise depends on the
grade of back pain, and should examine the degree to
which the exercise type and volume determine efficacy.
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Fig. 3. Economic impacts (left: direct medical cost per insured, total costs within 2 years pre-, total costs within 2 years post-) and therapeutic
effects of back exercise (right: Graded Chronic Pain Status scale (GCPS), pre-: before intervention (t0), post-: after 2 years (t4)) by back pain
severity grade (GCPS 1–4) during pre-measurement (treatment groups back exercise (BE) = green, standard treatment (ST) = blue). Direct medical
costs: GCPS 1 BE n  = 572, ST n  = 176; GCPS 2 BE n  = 565, ST n  = 143; GCPS 3 BE n  = 445, ST n  = 86; GCPS 4 BE n  = 247, ST n  = 90. GCPS: GCPS
1 BE n  = 326, ST n  = 118; GCPS 2 BE n  = 284, ST n  = 74; GCPS 3 BE n  = 204, ST n  = 38; GCPS 4 BE n  = 114, ST n  = 26.
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