A new Cochrane Review published online ahead of print on January 7 shows that exercising muscles that support and control the spine can reduce low back pain and disability.
Motor control exercise aims to improve coordination of the muscles that control and support the spine. Patients are initially guided by a therapist to practice normal use of the muscles with simple tasks. As the patient’s skill increases, the exercises become more complex and include the functional tasks that the person needs to perform during work or leisure activities.
Bruno Saragiotto
The study analyzed data from 29 randomized trials that involved a total of 2431 men and women ages 22 and 55 years. The trials investigated the impact of using motor control exercises as a treatment for lower back pain compared to other forms of exercise or doing nothing.
The Cochrane authors found that compared to those who received minimum intervention, people who used motor control exercises experienced improvements, especially in pain and disability. When compared with other types of exercise, motor control exercise provided similar results for pain and disability at 3 to 12 months.
Lead author Bruno Saragiotto said, “Targeting the strength and coordination of muscles that support the spine through motor control exercise offers an alternative approach to treating lower back pain. We can be confident that they are as effective as other types of exercise, so the choice of exercise should take into account factors such as patient or therapist preferences, cost and availability. At present, we don’t really know how motor control exercise compares with other forms of exercise in the long term. It’s important we see more research in this field, so that patients can make more informed choices about persisting with treatment.”