title: Efficacy of movement control exercises versus general exercises on recurrent sub-acute nonspecific low back pain in a sub-group of patients with movement control dysfunction. Protocol of a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Practice guidelines recommend various types of exercise for chronic back pain but there have been few head-to-head comparisons of these interventions. General exercise seems to be an effective option for management of chronic low back pain (LBP) but very little is known about the management of a sub-acute LBP within sub-groups. Recent research has developed clinical tests to identify a subgroup of patients with chronic non-specific LBP who have movement control dysfunction (MD).
  
  
  METHODS
  We are conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to compare the effects of general exercise and specific movement control exercise (SMCE) on disability and function in patients with MD within recurrent sub-acute LBP. The main outcome measure is the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  European clinical guideline for management of chronic LBP recommends that more research is required to develop tools to improve the classification and identification of specific clinical sub-groups of chronic LBP patients. Good quality RCTs are then needed to determine the effectiveness of specific interventions aimed at these specific target groups. This RCT aims to test the hypothesis whether patients within a sub-group of MD benefit more through a specific individually tailored movement control exercise program than through general exercises.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland. vesa.lehtola@omt.org
authors.forename: Vesa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lehtola
authors.forename: Hannu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luomajoki
authors.forename: Ville
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Leinonen
authors.forename: Sean
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Olavi
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Airaksinen
mesh_terms: D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009068:Movement; D009069:Movement Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D012107:Research Design; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome