Movement Quality and Balance Improvement in People With Chronic Low Back Pain Following Trunk Muscle Training (CLBP)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)

Treatments: Behavioral: Structural Exercise; Behavioral: Back school; Behavioral: Isolated Trunk Exercise

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06944730

2022.176 (Other Identifier)

HongKongPU RS

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this project is to assess if Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) participant's movement quality and balance variables can change after training that decreases their pain and disability. It will also compare the difference between structural exercise (SE) and isolated trunk exercise (ITE). The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What are the effect of the training on the participant's movement quality and balance.
2. What are the difference between different types of trunk muscle training on people with CLBP.

Researchers will compare SE, ITE and control. Control group will receive back school education that was shown not to be effective in reducing pain and disability.

Participants will:

1. Do home and in-lab based SE or ITE training, or maintain active daily living over 2 months.
2. Complete the pain and disability questionnaire and do several physical functioning tests while having their trunk and lower limb movement and muscle activation measured.

Full description

Both ITE and SE training are equalized in terms of training intensity based on rate of perceived exertion, training duration per session, training frequency, and intervention period. Training intensity measurement does not use other methods of quantification as ITE training does not increase heart rate or blood lactate significantly regardless of the intensity.

Enrollment: 60 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 55 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• body mass index (BMI) 18-25 kg/m2
• experiencing intermittent pain lasting at least 3 months
• had Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score ranging between 17% and 45%.

Exclusion criteria

• exercise contraindication based on physical activity readiness questionnaire
• indication or diagnosis of other chronic diseases (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone fracture, or infection)
• artificial lower limb joints, history of spinal surgery, walking aid use
• personal mobility restrictions (due to connective tissue diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, or central nervous system disorders)
• pregnancy or within 1 year post partum

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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60 participants in 3 patient groups

Structural Exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Single armed dumbbell row, push up and single legged deadlift exercises, done three times per week for eight weeks

Treatment:

Behavioral: Structural Exercise

Isolated Trunk Exercise

Experimental group

Description:

Plank, side bridge, and bird dog isometric holds, done three times per week over eight weeks training

Treatment:

Behavioral: Isolated Trunk Exercise

Control

Sham Comparator group

Description:

Back school education where participants are taught about healthy seating position, how to carry loads, and maintaining an active daily lifestyle.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Back school