Mohamed (2026) Effect of Passive Versus Active Aquatic Therapy Over Conventional Physiotherapy in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Crossover Trial — Study Protocol

In short: This 2026 publication is a study protocol: it describes a planned crossover trial comparing active aquatic therapy, passive aquatic therapy (Watsu) and conventional physiotherapy in people with chronic low back pain. Results are not yet available.

About this study

Mohamed and colleagues plan a single-center randomized crossover trial with 12 participants with chronic low back pain. Each participant receives all three interventions in random order: active aquatic therapy, passive aquatic therapy (Watsu) and conventional physiotherapy, each for four weeks with a one-week washout in between. A blinded assessor measures pain (visual analogue scale), disability (Oswestry Disability Index) and lumbar range of motion at baseline and after each phase.

Main findings

• This is a protocol; no results have been published yet.
• The authors expect active aquatic therapy to improve range of motion and function most, Watsu to be most effective for pain relief, and conventional physiotherapy to give moderate benefits.

The authors conclude

The authors present the protocol as a way to compare the relative effects of active and passive aquatic therapy with conventional physiotherapy in chronic low back pain, an area where comparative evidence is still limited.

Limitations

The planned sample is small (12 participants) and the study is carried out in a single center. The expectations described are hypotheses, not results.

Source

Mohamed A, Arulsingh W, Kandakurti PK, Muthukrishnan R. Effect of Passive Versus Active Aquatic Therapy Over Conventional Physiotherapy in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Crossover Trial — Study Protocol. F1000Research. 2026. doi: 10.12688/f1000research.188685.1. Published under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence.