Exercise is the most common treatment approach for patients with chronic low back pain (LBP) and its psychological factors should also be considered given their known negative influence on recovery. Motor control and general strengthening exercises are two commonly used exercise therapies for chronic LBP, yet few studies have examined both the physical and psychological effects of these exercise interventions on chronic LBP. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to compare the effectiveness of combined motor control and isolated lumbar extension exercises (MC+ILEX) versus general strengthening exercise (GE) on pain, disability, and psychological factors in patients with chronic LBP.
A total of 50 participants with LBP were randomly assigned to each group (n=25 per group). Both groups received 2 supervised exercise sessions for 12-weeks. Outcomes measures were obtained at baseline, 6-week and 12-week and included pain intensity (NPRS), disability (ODI), depression and anxiety (HADS), pain catastrophizing (PCS), Kinesiophobia (TSK) and insomnia (ISI). Repeated measures ANOVA was used to assess the main effects of group, time, and group*time.
There were no significant differences between groups for any outcome at any time point. Participants in both groups had significant improvements in NPRS, ODI, and TSK (all p<0.01) scores from baseline to 12-week. Participants in the MC+ILEX group also had significant improvements for PCS (p=0.04).
Our findings indicate that MC+ILEX and GE have similar positive effects in patients with chronic LBP. Both exercise interventions were effective to improve pain, disability, and psychological factors.