Efficacy of a Health Education And Self-Awareness Booklet With Specific Therapeutic Exercises Versus Vitamin D3 Supplementation For Managing Chronic Low Back Pain: An Assessor-Blinded, Multicentre Randomised Clinical Trial

Objective: Maintaining optimal vitamin D3 levels may play a key role in managing chronic low back pain (CLBP) and enhancing functional outcomes. This study aimed to compare the effects of health education and self-awareness booklets versus vitamin D3 supplementation combined with therapeutic exercises on pain intensity, vitamin D levels, and functional disability in individuals with CLBP.Material and Methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at two physiotherapy rehabilitation centers in Dhaka, Bangladesh, involving 84 participants with chronic low back pain (CLBP), randomly allocated into two equal groups. Group A received specific therapeutic exercises and a health education/self-awareness booklet, while Group B received vitamin D3 supplementation alongside the same exercises over a three-month period. Primary outcomes included pain intensity (assessed via the Brief Pain Inventory) and serum vitamin D3 levels. Functional disability, measured using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), served as the secondary outcome. Assessments were conducted at baseline and post-intervention, with a per-protocol analysis applied. Results: Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in pain intensity and functional disability following the intervention (p-value