Exercise Therapy for Recurrent Low Back Pain: Unraveling the Puzzle of Peripheral Muscle and Central Brain Changes (B670201420984)

Launched by UNIVERSITY GHENT · Jan 20, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how exercise therapy can help people with recurrent low back pain (LBP). Researchers want to understand not only how exercise affects the muscles in the back but also how it influences the brain. They will look at the effects of exercise right after a session and after completing 18 sessions, focusing on muscle and brain changes. The goal is to find out if a specific type of exercise program works better than a general one for improving pain and function.

To participate in the trial, you should have a history of recurrent low back pain that has lasted for at least six months, with at least two episodes of pain each year. The pain should be enough to limit your daily activities, and you should have consulted a healthcare provider about it. However, if you have chronic pain, specific injuries, or certain health conditions, you may not be eligible. Participants can expect to engage in a structured exercise program, and researchers will monitor changes in both muscle function and brain activity during the study.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • History of non-specific recurrent LBP with the first onset being at least 6 months ago
• • At least 2 episodes of LBP/year, with an 'episode' implying pain lasting a minimum of 24 hours which is preceded and followed by at least 1 month without LBP
• • Minimum LBP intensity during episodes should be ≥2/10 on a numeric rating scale (NRS) from 0 to 10
• • During remission the NRS intensity for LBP should be 0.
• • LBP should be of that severity that it limits activities of daily living
• • LBP should be of that severity that a (para)medic has been consulted at least once regarding the complaints
• • Flexion pattern of LBP
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Chronic LBP (i.e. duration remission \<1 month)
• • Subacute LBP (i.e. first onset between 3 and 6 months ago)
• • Acute (i.e. first onset \<3 months ago) LBP
• • Specific LBP (i.e. LBP proportionate to an identifiable pathology, e.g. lumbar radiculopathy)
• • Patients with neuropathic pain
• • Patients with chronic widespread pain as defined by the criteria of the 1990 ACR (i.e. fibromyalgia)
• • A lifetime history of spinal traumata (e.g. whiplash), surgery (e.g. laminectomy) or deformations (e.g. scoliosis)
• • A lifetime history of respiratory, metabolic, neurologic, cardiovascular, inflammatory, orthopedic or rheumatologic diseases
• • Concomitant therapies (i.e. rehabilitation, alternative medicine or therapies)
• • Contra-indications for MRI (e.g. suffering from claustrophobia, the presence of metallic foreign material in the body, BMI \>30kg/m²)
• • Professional athletes
• • Pregnant women
• • Breastfeeding women
• • Women given birth in the last year before enrolment