Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study

Lumbar disc herniation, a growing condition, significantly impacts work productivity, mental health, and quality of life. It alters functional movement patterns and causes improper compensatory body positioning, leading to muscle dysfunction. Physical exercise is a key treatment for chronic cases. T...

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Main Authors: Kristina Randow de Almeida, Marko Kapeleti, Vuk Stevanović, Vladimir Mrdaković, Marija Macura
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education 2025-04-01
Series:Exercise and Quality of Life
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.eqoljournal.com/article/254
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author Kristina Randow de Almeida
Marko Kapeleti
Vuk Stevanović
Vladimir Mrdaković
Marija Macura
author_facet Kristina Randow de Almeida
Marko Kapeleti
Vuk Stevanović
Vladimir Mrdaković
Marija Macura
author_sort Kristina Randow de Almeida
collection DOAJ
description Lumbar disc herniation, a growing condition, significantly impacts work productivity, mental health, and quality of life. It alters functional movement patterns and causes improper compensatory body positioning, leading to muscle dysfunction. Physical exercise is a key treatment for chronic cases. This case study examined a 37-year-old male with moderate triple lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc changes at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1. The subject followed a 10-week home-based exercise program performed 4 to 5 times weekly for 45 minutes per session. The program consisted of variations of body-weight exercises, supplemented with additional equipment, and progressively increased in intensity and volume, targeting hip joint mobility and strengthening of deep back, abdominal, and thigh muscles. Initial and final assessments included the Pain Detect test, the Short Form Health Survey-36 on quality of life, Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Functional Movement Screen (FMS), and body composition analysis. Questionnaires indicated significant pain reduction and improvements in physical condition and psychosocial well-being. MMT improved from 4 to 5, FMS from 2 to 3, and body composition showed positive changes: weight (+1.5%), body water (+3.4%), skeletal muscle (+2.8%), and body fat (-6.6%). The subject reported substantial pain reduction, improved physical condition and psychosocial well-being, as well as enhanced muscle strength, functional movement patterns, and body composition. This case study highlights the program’s effectiveness in treating lumbar disc herniation and enhancing quality of life. Additionally, the program is suitable for preventing lumbar disc herniation and improving overall quality of life in the broader population.
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spelling doaj-art-c6e4e19bc2834fd2931dde8e3554edda2025-08-20T03:45:27ZengUniversity of Novi Sad, Faculty of Sport and Physical EducationExercise and Quality of Life1821-34802406-13792025-04-0117110.31382/eqol.250609Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case studyKristina Randow de Almeida0Marko Kapeleti1Vuk Stevanović2Vladimir Mrdaković3Marija Macura4University of Belgrade – Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade – Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade, SerbiaGroup for Nutrition and Metabolism, University of Belgrade - Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade – Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade, SerbiaUniversity of Belgrade – Faculty of Sports and Physical Education, Belgrade, SerbiaLumbar disc herniation, a growing condition, significantly impacts work productivity, mental health, and quality of life. It alters functional movement patterns and causes improper compensatory body positioning, leading to muscle dysfunction. Physical exercise is a key treatment for chronic cases. This case study examined a 37-year-old male with moderate triple lumbar disc herniation and degenerative disc changes at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1. The subject followed a 10-week home-based exercise program performed 4 to 5 times weekly for 45 minutes per session. The program consisted of variations of body-weight exercises, supplemented with additional equipment, and progressively increased in intensity and volume, targeting hip joint mobility and strengthening of deep back, abdominal, and thigh muscles. Initial and final assessments included the Pain Detect test, the Short Form Health Survey-36 on quality of life, Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Functional Movement Screen (FMS), and body composition analysis. Questionnaires indicated significant pain reduction and improvements in physical condition and psychosocial well-being. MMT improved from 4 to 5, FMS from 2 to 3, and body composition showed positive changes: weight (+1.5%), body water (+3.4%), skeletal muscle (+2.8%), and body fat (-6.6%). The subject reported substantial pain reduction, improved physical condition and psychosocial well-being, as well as enhanced muscle strength, functional movement patterns, and body composition. This case study highlights the program’s effectiveness in treating lumbar disc herniation and enhancing quality of life. Additionally, the program is suitable for preventing lumbar disc herniation and improving overall quality of life in the broader population.https://www.eqoljournal.com/article/254pain intesitypain descriptionpsychosocial well-beingmuscle strengthfunctional movement patternsbody composition
spellingShingle Kristina Randow de Almeida
Marko Kapeleti
Vuk Stevanović
Vladimir Mrdaković
Marija Macura
Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
Exercise and Quality of Life
pain intesity
pain description
psychosocial well-being
muscle strength
functional movement patterns
body composition
title Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
title_full Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
title_fullStr Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
title_full_unstemmed Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
title_short Enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation: A longitudinal case study
title_sort enhancing quality of life through physical exercise in a patient with triple lumbar disc herniation a longitudinal case study
topic pain intesity
pain description
psychosocial well-being
muscle strength
functional movement patterns
body composition
url https://www.eqoljournal.com/article/254
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