Which Exercise for Low Back Pain? Predicting Response to Exercise for Patients With Low Back Pain

Exercise therapy is the most recommended treatment for chronic low back pain. There is a wide range of exercises available and research studies have shown that no exercise is superior to another. The problem is that the effects of exercise in reducing pain and disability are small to moderate. Researchers and clinicians believe that different patients may best respond to different types of exercises. This means that if patients could be better matched to specific exercises, then the effects of exercise would be greater. A study conducted by the investigators of this study tested whether patient's characteristics could predict outcomes to two of the most common exercises for low back pain: motor control exercises or graded activity. The results showed that a simple questionnaire (Lumbar Spine Instability Questionnaire) could identify patients who responded best to either exercise. Patients with low clinical instability (measured by the questionnaire) responded best to graded activity. Patients with high clinical instability responded best to motor control exercises.These results were the first to show that better matching patients to specific exercises improves outcomes. Although these results have the potential to significantly improve the delivery of exercises for low back pain, validation of the results in a high-quality study with a large group of patients is a prerequisite to clinical implementation. The aim of this study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of graded activity to motor control exercises and identify groups of respondents to these exercises. The study will also include the evaluation the costs and benefits of these interventions and the potential impact of matched treatment to patients and the health care system. The results of this study has the potential to increase the effects of exercise in low back pain and consequently lead to better patient outcomes and decreased health related costs.