Comparison of Moderate Load Eccentric Core Exercises and Pilates in Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Low Back Pain

In brief

Low back pain (LBP) is a major global health concern, significantly affecting mobility, productivity, and quality of life. Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP), which accounts for most LBP cases, is associated with impaired proprioception, reduced lumbar range of motion (ROM), decreased muscular endurance, and altered neuromuscular control. Joint position error (JPE) is a key indicator of proprioceptive dysfunction, contributing to postural instability and movement impairments in NSLBP patients. Effective rehabilitation strategies are essential to improve functional outcomes and prevent recurrence. Exercise therapy, particularly core stabilization exercises, plays a crucial role in NSLBP management. Among various approaches, moderate-load eccentric core exercises and Pilates have gained attention for their potential benefits. Eccentric exercises improve neuromuscular control, proprioception, and endurance by emphasizing controlled muscle lengthening. Pilates, on the other hand, focuses on core activation, postural alignment, and flexibility to enhance spinal stability and movement efficiency. However, limited research directly compares their effects on joint position error, pain, lumbar ROM, and core endurance in NSLBP patients. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will recruit 44 NSLBP patients from Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi, using purposive sampling. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the moderate-load eccentric core exercise group or the Pilates group for an 8-week supervised intervention. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, the 4th week, and post-intervention using an inclinometer (JPE), NPRS (pain), an inclinometer (lumbar ROM), and McGill Torso Endurance Battery (core endurance). SPSS version 21.0 will be used to analyze the data, with normality assessed through the Shapiro-Wilk test or the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Group differences will be analyzed using an Independent Sample t-test for normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U test in case of non-normally distributed data (p \< 0.05).

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07332390

Run by

Foundation University Islamabad

People needed

44

Starts

2025-01-15

Expected to finish

2026-01-15

Last updated by the study team

2026-01-12

Who can join

Age: 18 and older, up to 45. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• • Adults 18 to 45 years
• Both genders
• Low back (from T12 to buttock line) pain for more than 3 months
• Non-specific low back pain i.e. signs or symptoms not attributable to any specific structure
• Low back pain on 3-8 NPRS

You may not qualify if…

• • Acute flare Low Back Pain
• Low back pain on NPRS (>8)
• Thoracic pain
• Centralization and peripheralization of pain
• Leg symptoms when walking, eased in flexion (Signs of stenosis)
• Pain due to repetitive movement
• Paresthesia/numbness
• Structural deformity (scoliosis, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis)
• Curve reversal
• Pregnancy
• Post-surgery (within 6 months of abdominal, spinal, or lower limb surgery)
• Degenerative or inflammatory spinal diseases
• Malignancy

Where it is running

• Foundation University Islamabad — Islamabad, Punjab Province, Pakistan (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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