Actively Recruiting
Comparison of Moderate Load Eccentric Core Exercises and Pilates in Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain
Led by Foundation University Islamabad · Updated on 2026-01-12
44
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
52 weeks
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
Low back pain (LBP) is a major global health concern, significantly affecting mobility, productivity, and quality of life. Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP), which accounts for most LBP cases, is associated with impaired proprioception, reduced lumbar range of motion (ROM), decreased muscular endurance, and altered neuromuscular control. Joint position error (JPE) is a key indicator of proprioceptive dysfunction, contributing to postural instability and movement impairments in NSLBP patients. Effective rehabilitation strategies are essential to improve functional outcomes and prevent recurrence. Exercise therapy, particularly core stabilization exercises, plays a crucial role in NSLBP management. Among various approaches, moderate-load eccentric core exercises and Pilates have gained attention for their potential benefits. Eccentric exercises improve neuromuscular control, proprioception, and endurance by emphasizing controlled muscle lengthening. Pilates, on the other hand, focuses on core activation, postural alignment, and flexibility to enhance spinal stability and movement efficiency. However, limited research directly compares their effects on joint position error, pain, lumbar ROM, and core endurance in NSLBP patients. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) will recruit 44 NSLBP patients from Fauji Foundation Hospital, Rawalpindi, using purposive sampling. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the moderate-load eccentric core exercise group or the Pilates group for an 8-week supervised intervention. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, the 4th week, and post-intervention using an inclinometer (JPE), NPRS (pain), an inclinometer (lumbar ROM), and McGill Torso Endurance Battery (core endurance). SPSS version 21.0 will be used to analyze the data, with normality assessed through the Shapiro-Wilk test or the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. Group differences will be analyzed using an Independent Sample t-test for normally distributed data and Mann-Whitney U test in case of non-normally distributed data (p \< 0.05).
CONDITIONS
Official Title
Comparison of Moderate Load Eccentric Core Exercises and Pilates in Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain
Who Can Participate
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Adults 18 to 45 years old
- Both genders
- Low back pain from T12 to buttock line lasting more than 3 months
- Non-specific low back pain not linked to a specific structure
- Low back pain rated between 3 and 8 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
You will not qualify if you...
- Acute flare of low back pain
- Low back pain rated above 8 on the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
- Thoracic pain
- Centralization or peripheralization of pain
- Leg symptoms when walking that improve with bending forward (signs of spinal stenosis)
- Pain caused by repetitive movement
- Paresthesia or numbness
- Structural spinal deformities like scoliosis, spondylosis, or spondylolisthesis
- Curve reversal
- Pregnancy
- Surgery within the last 6 months on abdomen, spine, or lower limbs
- Degenerative or inflammatory spinal diseases
- Cancer
AI-Screening
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Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
Foundation University Islamabad
Islamabad, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 46000
Actively Recruiting
Research Team
T
Tehreem Zahra, DPT
CONTACT
R
Ruqia Begum, MS-OMPT
CONTACT
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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