Speakers - 2026

Title: Effects of core stabilization exercises and back school treatment on pain, functional disability, and quality of life in woman patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: This study was planned to determine the effects of trunk stabilization exercises and back school on pain, functional disability and quality of life in female patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NCLBP).

Methods: Seventy-one female patients with NCLBP were treated with core stabilization exercises, lumbar school, and control group. This prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled clinical trial was conducted between November 2023 and August 2024. (NCT06203340). Pain severity was assessed with Visual Analog Scale (VAS), functional disability was assessed with Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Quality of life was assessed with World Health Organization Quality of Life Assessment Instrument Short Form (WHOQOL-Bref). Spinal mobility was assessed with hand-finger ground distance before treatment and a second time after 4 weeks.

Results: VAS score at rest and pain intensity significantly decreased in the core exercise and lumbar school group after the intervention (p=0001). ODI score decreased significantly in the core exercise and lumbar school group after treatment (p<0.001), while no significant change was observed in the control group (p=0.500).  WHOQOL-Bref score increased significantly in the core exercise and lumbar school group after treatment (p<0.001), while no significant change was observed in the control group (p=0.060). In spinal mobility evaluation, lumbar flexion mobility was found to be significantly different between the groups before and after treatment (F=7.417, p=0.001, F=44.469, p<0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: It was determined that core stabilisation exercises and lumbar school were effective in reducing pain, functional disability, increasing quality of life and spinal mobility, and core stabilisation exercises applied as a group were a more effective method in lumbar school education. Core stabilisation exercises were found to be more effective in lumbar school training.