Motor Learning for the Lumbar Spine Using Sensor-based Postural Feedback: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Hasselt University

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Chronic Non-specific Low Back Pain

Treatments: Other: Control group; Other: Mirror feedback; Other: Sensor-based postural feedback

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02773160

AcuteLearningEffects

Details and patient eligibility

About

A large subgroup of patients with chronic non-specific low back pain have motor control impairments. During motor control exercises, different forms of external feedback can be used to support training. This randomized controlled trial will investigate the effectiveness of different forms of external feedback during the learning phase of a motor control task for the lumbar spine in healthy subjects and patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP). Both healthy subjects and patients with CNSLBP will be randomized into three groups: one group will receive feedback from motion sensors, one group from a mirror and one group will receive no feedback (control group). A single session intervention with measurements at baseline and immediately post-intervention will be used.

Enrollment: 80 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Chronic non-specific low back pain
• Age 18-65
• Able to understand Dutch

Exclusion criteria

• Subjects that received lumbar stabilization exercises in the past year
• Spinal surgery in the past
• Pregnancy
• Serious underlying pathologies (e.g. multiple sclerosis, tumors,...)
• Signs or symptoms of nerve root involvement
• Any physical condition at the moment of testing that can interfere with activities of daily living (e.g. serious knee pain)
• Known skin-allergy for tape
• BMI > 30kg/m²

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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80 participants in 3 patient groups

Sensor-based postural feedback

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects will receive visual feedback on a computer screen while practicing the motor control task. The feedback is based on information from from motion sensors that mointor the movements of the lumbar spine

Treatment:

Other: Sensor-based postural feedback

Mirror Feedback

Experimental group

Description:

Subjects will receive feedback from a mirror while practicing the motor control task

Treatment:

Other: Mirror feedback

control group

Active Comparator group

Description:

Subjects will receive no feedback while practicing the motor control task

Treatment:

Other: Control group