Comparison the effect of motor control, water exercise and combined exercise (land&water) on back motor control and trunk muscle endurance in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain

 Aims and background: Patients with non-specific low back pain experience disorder in back motor control and trunk muscle endurance and these disorders are associated with pain in these patients. The objective of this study was to compare the effectiveness of motor control exercises, exercise in water, and combined exercises on back motor control and trunk muscle resistance in patients with chronic mechanical low back pain. Materials and methods: TIn this study, patients with mechanical low back pain were selected using Oswestry Questionnaire. They were randomly assigned into four groups of motor control exercises (n=12), exercise in water (n=12), combined exercises (n=11), and control group (n=13). All three exercise groups performed 8 weeks of determined exercise and control group did not perform exercise. To assess back motor control and trunk muscle endurance of patients, Lumajoki motor control test and McGill test were used, respectively. ANOVA test was used (α≤ 0.05) for intra-group and inter-group comparison of pre-test and post-test variables, paired t-test and variables. Findings: The results of the research showed a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test of exercise groups compared with the control group in the variables of back motor control, and trunk muscle resistance. However, significant difference was not found among the three groups. Conclusion: As a result, exercise in water, motor control exercises, and combined exercises had impact on increasing back motor control and trunk muscle resistance of patients with non-specific low back pain, and all three exercise methods were effective on the treatment of non-specific chronic low back pain.