Muscular stability is essential to the spinal column to avoid harmful strain and injury to its structures. Sudden postural disturbances impose reactive internal forces through the spine. If the muscles do not react before the internal reactive forces propagate through the spine, there is a short fraction of time where the spinal column may lack sufficient muscular support. Studies have shown that in patients with low back pain deep abdominal and back muscle have a delayed response to reactive forces. The purpose of this study is to verify these findings and to investigate whether tailored interventions can improve the reaction time in stabilizing muscle around the lower spinal column i patients with subacute and chronic low back pain.

Condition	Intervention
Low Back Pain	Procedure: Exercise or information

Further Study Details: 

Primary Outcomes: Muscle activity onset in transversus abdominal muscle
Secondary Outcomes: Pain; Function (Oswestry v2); Fear of avoidance belief; Assessment of isolated transverus abd. and multifidus control
Expected Total Enrollment:  99

Ages Eligible for Study:  20 Years   -   60 Years,  Genders Eligible for Study:  Both

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Unspesific subacute, subacute remitting and chronic LBP
• Both sexes, 20-60 yrs of age
• LBP between 2-8 on a 11-pt numeric rating scale

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous back surgery
• Sick listed more than one year
• Radiating pain below knee or motor deficits
• Systemic diseases and "red flags"
• Diagnosed psychiatric disease
• Ingoing insurance claim
• Pregnancy

Please refer to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov identifier  NCT00201513

Anne M Fladmark, Research assistant       anne.m.fladmark@ntnu.no

Norway
      Norwegian University of Science and Technology, National center for spinal diseases, Trondheim,  7489,  Norway

Study chairs or principal investigators

Ottar Vasseljen, PhD,  Study Chair,  National center for spinal diseases   

Study ID Numbers:  REK 4.2005.1720
Last Updated:  September 19, 2005
Record first received:  September 16, 2005
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:  NCT00201513
Health Authority: Norway: Norwegian Social Science Data Services
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on 2005-09-20