Motor control exercise reduces lower back pain
Motor control exercises, or those that target muscles that control and support the spine, are found to reduce back pain. The study is published in the Cochrane Library
Patients are initially guided by a therapist to practise 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 and/or leisure activities.
The study investigated the differences of doing motor exercises and other forms of exercise. Results show that that people who used motor control exercises experienced improvements, especially in pain and disability compared with minimal intervention. When compared with other types of exercise at intervals between 3 and 12 months motor control exercise provided similar results for pain and disability.
Lead author, Physiotherapist Bruno Saragiotto, from The George Institute, University of Sydney, Australia, 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.”
Category: Features, Wellness and Complementary Therapies
