Movement Quality and Balance Improvement in People With Chronic Low Back Pain Following Trunk Muscle Training

NCT ID: NCT06944730

Last Updated: 2025-04-25

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

60 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-06-01

Study Completion Date

2025-11-30

Brief Summary

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The goal of this project is to assess if Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP) participant's movement quality and balance variables can change after training that decreases their pain and disability. It will also compare the difference between structural exercise (SE) and isolated trunk exercise (ITE). The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What are the effect of the training on the participant's movement quality and balance.
2. What are the difference between different types of trunk muscle training on people with CLBP.

Researchers will compare SE, ITE and control. Control group will receive back school education that was shown not to be effective in reducing pain and disability.

Participants will:

1. Do home and in-lab based SE or ITE training, or maintain active daily living over 2 months.
2. Complete the pain and disability questionnaire and do several physical functioning tests while having their trunk and lower limb movement and muscle activation measured.

Detailed Description

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Both ITE and SE training are equalized in terms of training intensity based on rate of perceived exertion, training duration per session, training frequency, and intervention period. Training intensity measurement does not use other methods of quantification as ITE training does not increase heart rate or blood lactate significantly regardless of the intensity.

Conditions

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Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Structural Exercise

Single armed dumbbell row, push up and single legged deadlift exercises, done three times per week for eight weeks

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Structural Exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Multi-joint limb movement with force vector through the spine. The spine is held at neutral position

Isolated Trunk Exercise

Plank, side bridge, and bird dog isometric holds, done three times per week over eight weeks training

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Isolated Trunk Exercise

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Holding the spine in neutral position with no limb movement, with static loading through the spine

Control

Back school education where participants are taught about healthy seating position, how to carry loads, and maintaining an active daily lifestyle.

Group Type SHAM_COMPARATOR

Back school

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Patient education that has been proven to not be effective and has been used as control in past low back pain intervention studies

Interventions

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Structural Exercise

Multi-joint limb movement with force vector through the spine. The spine is held at neutral position

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Isolated Trunk Exercise

Holding the spine in neutral position with no limb movement, with static loading through the spine

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Back school

Patient education that has been proven to not be effective and has been used as control in past low back pain intervention studies

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* body mass index (BMI) 18-25 kg/m2
* experiencing intermittent pain lasting at least 3 months
* had Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) score ranging between 17% and 45%.

Exclusion Criteria

* exercise contraindication based on physical activity readiness questionnaire
* indication or diagnosis of other chronic diseases (such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, bone fracture, or infection)
* artificial lower limb joints, history of spinal surgery, walking aid use
* personal mobility restrictions (due to connective tissue diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, or central nervous system disorders)
* pregnancy or within 1 year post partum
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

55 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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SUTANTO Dhananjaya

Post-Doctorate Fellow

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Billy CL So, Prof.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

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The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hong Kong, , Hong Kong

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Hong Kong

Central Contacts

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Dhananjaya Sutanto, Ph.D.

Role: CONTACT

+852 9680 7397

Facility Contacts

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Billy CL So, Professor

Role: primary

+85227664377

Kitman Lau

Role: backup

+85234003983

References

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Sutanto D, Ho CY, Wong SHS, Pranata A, Yang Y. Difference in movement coordination and variability during Five-Repetition Sit-to-Stand between people with and without Chronic Low back pain. J Biomech. 2025 Mar;181:112531. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2025.112531. Epub 2025 Jan 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 39855104 (View on PubMed)

Sutanto D, Yang YJ, Wong SH. A novel physical functioning test to complement subjective questionnaires in chronic low back pain assessments. Spine J. 2023 Apr;23(4):558-570. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2022.12.008. Epub 2022 Dec 17.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36535534 (View on PubMed)

Panjabi MM. The stabilizing system of the spine. Part I. Function, dysfunction, adaptation, and enhancement. J Spinal Disord. 1992 Dec;5(4):383-9; discussion 397. doi: 10.1097/00002517-199212000-00001.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 1490034 (View on PubMed)

Sutanto D, Ho RST, Poon ETC, Yang Y, Wong SHS. Effects of Different Trunk Training Methods for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Mar 1;19(5):2863. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19052863.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35270557 (View on PubMed)

Chiarotto A, Boers M, Deyo RA, Buchbinder R, Corbin TP, Costa LOP, Foster NE, Grotle M, Koes BW, Kovacs FM, Lin CC, Maher CG, Pearson AM, Peul WC, Schoene ML, Turk DC, van Tulder MW, Terwee CB, Ostelo RW. Core outcome measurement instruments for clinical trials in nonspecific low back pain. Pain. 2018 Mar;159(3):481-495. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001117.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29194127 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2022.176

Identifier Type: OTHER

Identifier Source: secondary_id

HongKongPU RS

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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