Stabilization exercises combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation for patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundOne proposed mechanism of chronic low back pain might be paraspinal muscle impairment. Commonly, this impairment is treated with stabilization exercises. However, the effect size of stabilization exercises has been previously reported to be small.DesignRandomized controlled trial.ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical benefit of using neuromuscular electrical stimulation as a supplement to stabilization exercises in patients with chronic low back pain.MethodsThirty participants with chronic low back pain were randomized into a stabilization exercise only group (n = 15) or a stabilization exercise plus neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (n = 15). The stabilization exercises included abdominal, side support, and quadruped exercises. The neuromuscular electrical stimulation was applied to the lumbar paraspinal muscles for 20 min each session. Both groups received their respective interventions twice a week for 6 weeks. Participant eligibility for inclusion was age between 18 and 60 years, body mass index ≤34, chronic low back pain ≥3 months, Numeric Pain Rating Scale ≥3, Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire score ≥20 and ability to understand English. Outcome measurements were self-reported neuromuscular electrical stimulation tolerability scale, Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Numeric Pain Rating Scale, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire and paraspinal muscle strength.ResultsThe neuromuscular electrical stimulation was reported to be tolerable. There were no significant between-group differences on any of the outcome measures (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on the paraspinal muscles was reported to be tolerable. Supplementing stabilization exercises with neuromuscular electrical stimulation did not offer any additional clinical benefit for the chronic low back pain patients.