Effects of Core Stability Exercises on Motor Control in Patients With Low Back Pain.

: Low back pain is a major health and socioeconomic problem and is associated with high costs in care, work absenteeism, and disability worldwide. According to evidence-based guidelines up to 90% of all Low Back Pain is classified as non-specific low back pain (NSLBP).Low back pain affects most people at some point in their lives, with up to an 84% lifetime prevalence and the prevalence depends on factors such as gender, age, educational level and occupation.

The underlying hypothesis is that impaired motor control (MC) and a lack of awareness of maladaptive movement patterns perpetuate Low Back Pain. Physiotherapists make clinical decisions based on the observation of movement control. O'Sullivan describes back pain patients with reduced Motor Control and excessive movement as pain provocateurs. Movement impairment syndromes and the detection of disordered movement, or pathokinesiology, is a key competence of physiotherapy. Pathokinesiologic movement patterns in the lumbar spine have been investigated and described, resulting in the publication of both reliability and validation studies of the examination procedures used. However, no clear evidence exists as to whether improvement in movement control can also lead to decreased pain and experienced daily disability in patients with NSLBP. Patients with Motor Control Impairment MCI present with mechanically induced pain in static postures together with visible movement abnormalities, such as decreased or increased movement of parts of the lumbar spine, or discrepancies in the proportion of hip, leg and spine movements. It is assumed that these movement abnormalities are influenced by current pain, previous pain episodes and the belief that pain provoked by movement is harmful. Patients exhibiting Motor Control Impairment demonstrate clinical features that can be screened with the aid of various clinical tests. Based on this principle, treatment aimed at restoring movement control, correcting movement patterns and avoiding pain-provoking postures could benefit patients with MCI.

The European Guidelines for Management of Chronic Non-Specific LBP recommend supervised exercise therapy as a first-line treatment for chronic Low Back Pain LBP. Exercise is the main treatment for chronic low back pain (CLBP) which is endorsed in most clinical practice guidelines. There is controversy over the most beneficial exercise, and there is little evidence that a particular kind of exercise is superior to another one.

In literature, there are studies which have been carried out for the effectiveness of exercises based on specific movement control findings in the low back, formed the justification for current study to evaluate core stability exercises in a subgroup of patients with non-specific LBP and impaired movement control or Motor control Impairment. Widely used synonyms for movement impairment syndromes are motor control dysfunctions and MC impairment. A study in Switzerland was carried out to observe improvement in Motor Control, decreased pain and disability in patients with NSLBP pain. The biggest effect was shown in the improvement of movement control ability following specific exercise intervention. A significant difference between patients with LBP and subjects without back pain regarding their ability to actively control the movements of the low back has been demonstrated in a study. One study was carried out to see the effects of movement control exercises versus general exercises on the disability and pain to patients with NSLBP and MCI but they both appeared equally effective in the patient subgroup included in this study After reviewing existing literature, it is notable that core stability exercises and other specific exercises have been frequently employed in studies focusing on the treatment of non-specific low back pain, yielding promising results in reducing pain and disability among patients. It is from evidence that patients with NSLBP exhibit Motor Control Impairments. Dysfunction or weakness in the core musculature can disrupt this balance, leading to altered movement patterns and impaired motor control. However, a significant gap persists in the literature regarding the investigation of the effects of core stability exercises on motor control impairment. While core stability exercises have demonstrated efficacy in addressing pain and disability outcomes, their specific impact on motor control impairment in patients with low back pain remains underexplored. This gap underscores the need for further research to elucidate the potential benefits of core stability exercises on motor control in this patient population.