Functional Exercise Capacity Among Patients with Prolapse Intervertebral Disc at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Prolapsed intervertebral disc (PID) is a common cause of low back pain and is frequently associated with pain, reduced mobility, and functional limitations. Although these impairments may affect functional exercise capacity, evidence describing this aspect among newly diagnosed PID patients remains limited. To assess the functional exercise capacity of patients with newly diagnosed prolapsed intervertebral disc referred for physiotherapy at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah. Methods:  A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 40 patients with newly diagnosed PID referred to the Physiotherapy Unit, Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah. Participants had a mean age of 39.2 ± 8.4 years, and 57.5% were female. Functional exercise capacity was evaluated using the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), a validated measure of functional walking capacity. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and 6MWT performance. Results: The mean 6MWT distance was 408.8 ± 111.7 m (range: 100–845 m). Based on established fitness classification criteria, 84.6% of participants demonstrated very low functional exercise capacity, while 15.4% demonstrated low functional exercise capacity. Overall, the findings indicate that the majority of newly diagnosed PID patients referred for physiotherapy exhibited reduced functional exercise capacity. Conclusions: Newly diagnosed patients with PID referred for physiotherapy demonstrated generally low functional exercise capacity as measured by the 6MWT. These findings provide baseline evidence regarding the functional status of this patient population and may assist physiotherapists in designing individualized rehabilitation programmes. Future longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to investigate factors associated with functional exercise capacity and to evaluate the effectiveness of rehabilitation interventions in improving functional outcomes.