Australian researchers have found that people suffering with lower back pain can significantly reduce their pain and disability by learning to control their trunk muscles.
Back pain is a problem which affects millions worldwide and carries an enormous economic and social burden.
Researchers have for decades been searching for new ways to manage the all too common problem and to improve the health and quality of life for sufferers struggling to cope with this condition.
The Australian researchers conducted a systematic review which included 14 trials - 7 compared motor control exercise with minimal intervention or evaluated it as a supplement to another treatment - 4 compared motor control exercise with manual therapy - 5 compared motor control exercise with another form of exercise and 1 compared motor control exercise with lumbar fusion surgery.
The review found that motor control exercise was the best option as it demanded minimal intervention and offered longer-term benefits.
The review found that by learning to control their trunk muscles using motor control exercises known as specific stabilization exercises and used along with other forms of therapy patients can improve their lower back pain and significantly reduce pain and disability.
According to the researchers patients with persistent lower back pain, as well as feeling less pain, were able to be more physically active and experience positive effects over a longer period of time than those who received other treatments.
According to researcher Luciana G Macedo, PT, MSc, a PhD student at The George Institute motor control exercise is a new form of exercise for back pain that has attracted the attention of researchers and health practitioners over the last decade, but until now there was no clear evidence on whether or the exercises were more effective.