Effects of Core Stabilization Exercise and Strengthening Exercise on Proprioception, Balance, Muscle Thickness and Pain-Related Outcomes in Patients with Subacute Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
36 Patients, 4-Week Programme
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34847915/
REFERENCE
92
NICE
REFERENCE
123
organisation
BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
TITLE
Effects of Core Stabilization Exercise and Strengthening Exercise on Proprioception, Balance, Muscle Thickness and Pain-Related Outcomes in Patients with Subacute Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
36 Patients, 4-Week Programme
SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34847915/
DISC COMMENTARY
This randomised controlled trial compared core stabilization exercise against general strengthening exercise in patients with subacute, non-specific low back pain. It examined effects on proprioception, balance, and spine-supporting muscle thickness, alongside pain and disability.
What was studied?
36 participants with recent low back pain completed a four-week programme, exercising 30 minutes three times weekly. Researchers used ultrasound to measure muscle thickness and tested balance, joint position sense, pain and fear of movement.
What did they find?
The core stabilization group showed significantly greater gains in proprioception and single-leg balance than the strengthening group, plus larger increases in transversus abdominis and multifidus muscle thickness. Both groups improved on pain, but core stabilization cut disability and fear of movement further.
Why it matters
Targeted core exercise in early back pain does more than ease pain: it produces measurable changes in balance, body awareness and spine-supporting muscle structure. Reduced fear of movement matters too, since fear of moving can itself slow recovery.
Why we included it
It shows why matching exercise type to recovery stage matters: the right exercise at the right point rebuilds physical capacity in ways a generic programme may not.
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What was studied?
36 participants with recent low back pain completed a four-week programme, exercising 30 minutes three times weekly. Researchers used ultrasound to measure muscle thickness and tested balance, joint position sense, pain and fear of movement.
What did they find?
The core stabilization group showed significantly greater gains in proprioception and single-leg balance than the strengthening group, plus larger increases in transversus abdominis and multifidus muscle thickness. Both groups improved on pain, but core stabilization cut disability and fear of movement further.
Why it matters
Targeted core exercise in early back pain does more than ease pain: it produces measurable changes in balance, body awareness and spine-supporting muscle structure. Reduced fear of movement matters too, since fear of moving can itself slow recovery.
Why we included it
It shows why matching exercise type to recovery stage matters: the right exercise at the right point rebuilds physical capacity in ways a generic programme may not.