by Ana Díaz Cevallos, Viviana Paucar, Teresa García-Pastor, Diana Ruiz-Vicente
Introduction: Family members of people with Cerebral Palsy (CP) are usually the ones who act as informal caregivers. On certain occasions their work has repercussions on their quality of life and their health and may even trigger lumbar and cervical pain. Objective: The study aims to determine the effects of physical exercise on low back pain in caregivers of people with CP. Methodology: It is quantitative quasi-experimental research, with a pretest-posttest design with a control group, with a non-probabilistic sample by accessibility considering the characteristics of the participants for the study. The study analyzed the functional effects on the cervical spine and emotional effects of the implementation of a physical exercise program in caregivers of people with CP. Results: The intervention with a physical exercise program for 16 weeks to an experimental group of 24 informal caregivers of CP for 19.83 ± 1.2 years improved caregiver burden, emotional health and low back pain. In contrast, the control group after the 16 weeks worsened anxiety. Discussion and Conclusion: The results of the study collaborate as a non-pharmaceutical treatment for anxiety and neck pain, being the practice of physical exercise for 16 weeks a good option to alleviate the symptomatology of Caregiver Overload Syndrome.
