COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF MOTOR CONTROL EXERCISES AND GENERAL CORE STABILISATION ON DISABILITY, PAIN INTENSITY, AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN ADULTS WITH CHRONIC NON-SPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIAL

Abstract

Background: Chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide, imposing substantial burden on healthcare systems and patient quality of life.^[1][2] Motor control exercises (MCE) and general core stabilisation (GCS) are two commonly prescribed exercise-based interventions; however, comparative evidence regarding their relative efficacy on disability, pain, and quality of life outcomes remains limited, particularly in South Asian populations.^[3][5]

Methods: This parallel-group, assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial recruited 20 adults (aged 18–65 years) with CNSLBP persisting for more than 12 weeks. Participants were randomised 1:1 to receive either MCE (n=10) or GCS (n=10), with interventions delivered three times per week over eight weeks. Primary outcomes included the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), and EQ-5D quality of life measure. Secondary outcomes encompassed the Sorensen test, lumbar range of motion, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Intention-to-treat analysis was performed where appropriate, with paired and independent t-tests or their non-parametric equivalents used for statistical comparisons (α=0.05).

Results: Seventeen participants (MCE: n=9; GCS: n=8) completed the study. Both groups demonstrated statistically significant within-group improvements across all primary and secondary outcomes (all p<0.001). The MCE group showed greater improvements in ODI (mean change −19.1 vs −14.8; p=0), pain intensity (mean change −2.9 vs −2.1; p=0), and quality of life (mean change +19.9 vs +13.9; p=0). Similarly, MCE produced significantly superior outcomes in Sorensen test, FABQ, PCS, and TUG scores (all p<0.01).

Conclusion: Both MCE and GCS produced clinically meaningful improvements in disability, pain, and psychosocial outcomes for CNSLBP. However, MCE demonstrated significantly greater benefits across nearly all measured outcomes, suggesting that targeted motor control retraining may offer superior therapeutic value compared to general core stabilisation for this population.

Keywords: chronic low back pain, motor control exercise, core stabilisation, randomised controlled trial, disability, pain, quality of life