Which Exercise for Low Back Pain: A Validation Study

Summary

Dr. Macedo and others involved in the proposed research recently conducted a study that investigated whether simple clinical characteristics could identify patients who benefit more from either motor control exercises or graded activity. Results were statistically significant and clinically relevant demonstrating that a simple questionnaire could help aid the selection of the most appropriate exercise therapy for each individual patient. Therefore, we aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial following a similar approach to the original study to validate in a different sample the results of the effect modification analysis.

Conditions

• Chronic Low Back Pain
• Non Specific Low Back Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Motor control exercises

The first stage of the treatment involves assessment of symptoms and implementation of a retraining program designed to improve activity of muscles assessed to have poor control and reducing activity of any muscle identified to be overactive. Participants are taught how to contract these muscles independently from the superficial trunk muscles and progress until the patient are able to maintain isolated contractions of the target muscles. During this stage exercises for breathing control, posture of spine and lower limb and movement are performed. The second stage of the treatment involved the progression of the exercises towards more functional activities. Throughout this process the recruitment of the trunk muscles, posture, movement pattern and breathing are assessed and corrected.

BEHAVIORAL

Graded activity

The program is based on activities that each patient identify as problematic and that they cannot perform or have difficulty performing because of their back pain. The activities in the program are progressed in a time-contingent manner from the baseline assessed ability to a target goal set jointly by patient and therapist. Patients receive daily quotas and are instructed to only perform the agreed amount, even when they feel they are capable of doing more. Cognitive-behavioural principles are used to help patients overcome the natural anxiety associated with pain and activities. Physiotherapists use positive reinforcement, explain pain mechanisms and addressed negative behaviours and pain-related anxiety. A plan for managing relapses is developed between therapists and patients.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Alberta

  collaborator OTHER

• Macquarie University, Australia

  collaborator OTHER

• McMaster University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Luciana Macedo, PhD · McMaster University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

DOUBLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2017-01-10

Primary Completion

2018-09-30

Completion

2018-12-31

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations