Effect of core stabilization exercises versus general back exercises in reducing chronic low back pain

Aim: Chronic low back pain is the most expensive benign condition in industrialized countries and the most common cause of activity. It is defined as pain that persists longer than 12 weeks and is often attributed to degenerative or traumatic conditions of the spine. Fibrositis, inflammatory spondyloarthropathy and metabolic bone conditions are also cited as causes. Although acute low back pain has a favorable prognosis, the effect of chronic low back pain and its related disability on society is tremendous. Unlike acute low back pain, chronic low back pain serves no biologic purpose. However, it is a disorder that evolves in a complex milieu influenced by endogenous and exogenous factors, and it alters the individual‘s productivity to an extent beyond what the initiating pathologic dysfunction would have. The purpose of this study is to determine the relative efficacy of core stabilization exercises compared to general low back exercises in reducing chronic low back pain. core stabilization exercise Study method: This a short term study, where thirty chronic low back pain patients with pre-defined selection criteria were selected and assigned into equal experimental groups as group A (core stabilization exercises) and group B (general back exercise). The pre and post test outcomes of pain intensity are marked on the VAS. Then statistical comparison is drawn between the experimental groups mean values by using unpaired‗t‘ test. Results: The study results show that the pain intensity mean values have decreased to significant extent after the treatment period. The mean pretest values of both core stabilization exercises and general back exercise groups before the treatment are 5.5 and 5.2 respectively which have been decreased to 1 and 1.7 after the treatment. Conclusion: Both the treatment procedures have shown an effective outcome, but core stabilization exercises have proven to be more effective than the general back exercise statistically.