Comparison of Core Stabilization and Neuromuscular Facilitation Exercises for Lowback Pain Prevention

NCT06846203 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Riphah Mehreen Raza
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 63
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Low back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, particularly affecting individuals in occupations that demand prolonged sitting or standing, such as healthcare professionals. The nature of their work often involves sustained postures, physical exertion, and repetitive movements, which compromise core muscle function and neuromuscular control, increasing the risk of spinal dysfunction and pain. Core stabilization exercises have been widely recognized for their role in improving trunk strength, enhancing postural alignment, and reducing spinal loading, thereby preventing LBP. Similarly, neuromuscular facilitation exercises aim to optimize muscle activation patterns, improve coordination, and restore functional movement, making them a promising strategy for LBP prevention. Despite the individual benefits of these approaches, there is a paucity of comparative research investigating their relative effectiveness in the prevention of LBP, particularly in populations with demanding physical and postural requirements, such as healthcare professionals. This study seeks to fill this gap by comparing the effects of core stabilization exercises and neuromuscular facilitation exercises on LBP prevention among healthcare professionals.The findings will provide evidence-based guidance for designing targeted interventions, ultimately promoting musculoskeletal health and enhancing the occupational well-being of this vulnerable group.

Conditions

Postural Low Back Pain

Keywords

Dynamic sit up test; Low Back Pain; Functional Movement Screen; PNF stretching exercises

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Dynamic Sit Up Test.

  The Dynamic Situp Test evaluates the endurance of the abdominal muscles and consists of consecutive performance of 3 increasingly difficult kinds of sit-up, 5 repetitions each. The examinee lies face-up on the floor with the knees bent at 90 degrees and the feet flat on the floor, held down by an examiner. The examinee then attempts to perform 15 situps in the following sequence. There should be no rest period or pause between the different types of sit-up: 5 situps each with the hands sliding along the thighs,while keeping the forearms crossed over the chest and with the fingertips maintaining contact with the back of the earlobes. The score is the total number of situps performed (max = 15) A Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis of the entire sample revealed a high degree of interrater reliability for the sit-up test. (α = .925)

  Baseline to 8th week

• Biering sorenson Test.

  The Biering-Sørensen test is commonly used to assess endurance of the paraspinal musculature using two metrics: test duration (the time that an individual maintains the Sørensen test position), and rate of muscle fatigue it is reported to predict low back pain within the next year in males. The test consists in measuring the amount of time a person can hold the unsupported upper body in a horizontal prone position with the lower body fixed to the examining table For the Sørensen tests, participants lay on a Roman chair with their lower limbs stabilized and their head, arms, and trunk unsupported. Participants were instructed to maintain a horizontal body position for as long as possible. The end of the test occurred when the participant could no longer maintain the horizontal test position or when the participant felt unable to continue the test. A low Biering-Sorensen score has been found to predict who will have nonspecific low back pain.

  Baseline to 8th week

• Functional movement Screen.

  The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a screening system that attempts allow the professional to assess the fundamental movement patterns of an individual. Its seven components are: Deep Squat, Hurdle Step, and In-Line Lunge, Shoulder Mobility, the Active Straight Leg Raise, the Trunk Stability Push-up, and Rotary Stability The maximum possible score on the FMS is 21, which is achieved by scoring a perfect 3 on all seven tests. Conversely, a score below 14 suggests a higher risk for injury due to poor body mechanics.The FMS demonstrates good to excellent interrater reliability, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) reported between 0.76 and 0.98 across various studies.The FMS has shown predictive validity for injury risk, particularly with a composite score of ≤14, which indicates a significantly higher likelihood of sustaining injuries .

  Baseline to 8th week

Study Arms (3)

core stabilization exercises

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will be subjected to following core stabilization exercises which include Sit-up-1, Sit-up-2, Back extention-1,Back extention-2 , Front plank,Back bridge ,Quadruped and Side bridge.

Other: Core stabilization Exercise Group

Neuromuscular Fascilitation exercises

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will be subjected to neuromuscular facilitation exercises which includes McGill curl up,Bird dog stretch, Side bridge or mermaid side bridge with bent knees, Single leg stretching ,Shoulder bridge,"Tai chi Warrior" stance ,Cat - cow - downward facing dog, Hip circumduction, hamstring stretching and starting position.

Other: Neuromuscular Fascilitation Exercise Group

control group

NO INTERVENTION

no intervention was given to this group

Interventions

Core stabilization Exercise Group OTHER

This group will be subjected to following core stabilization exercises: 1: Sit-up-1, 2: Sit-up-2, 3: Back extention-1, 4: Back extention-2 , 5: Front plank, 6: Back bridge , 7: Quadruped , 8:Side bridge A combination of activities will be administered and alterations will be made every session. Session will be held 3 times per week for 8 consecutive weeks.

core stabilization exercises

Neuromuscular Fascilitation Exercise Group OTHER

This group will be subjected to neuromuscular facilitation exercises : Week 1: McGill curl up, Week 2: Bird dog stretch, Week 3: Side bridge or mermaid side bridge with bent knees, Week 4: Single leg stretching, Week 5: Shoulder bridge Week 6: "Tai chi Warrior" stance, Week 7 \& 8: Cat - cow - downward facing dog, Hip circumduction, hamstring stretching, starting position Session will be held 3 times per week for 8 consecutive weeks

Neuromuscular Fascilitation exercises

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 20 Years - 45 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Professionals including nurses, dentist, surgeons, physiotherapists etc.
• years.
• Both genders.
• Individuals with no back pain history from previous 3 months.
• Individuals having Biering sorensen test score less than 176 seconds.

You may not qualify if:

• Individuals who had experienced low back pain in previous 3 months.
• Diagnosed musculoskeletal and neuromuscular problems.
• Diagnosed cardiovascular or pulmonary problems.
• Any Fractures and spine surgery.
• Individuals who are already a part of any interventional research program.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Riphah International University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Pakistan Airforce hospital

Karachi, Sindh, 75350, Pakistan

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Back Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Aisha Razzaq, PHD*

  Riphah International University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 20, 2025
• First Posted: February 26, 2025
• Study Start: March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: January 2, 2026
• Last Updated: February 19, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

PA (1)