EFFECT OF CORE STABILITY EXERCISES WITH TENS AND GENERAL STRENGTHENING EXERCISES WITH TENS ON PAIN IN INDIVIDUALS WITH NON-SPECIFIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Description
Background: Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is a major health issue characterized by discomfort between the costal margin and inferior gluteal folds without a specific identifiable cause. While TENS and exercises are standard care, the comparative efficacy of core stability versus general strengthening in a 4-week protocol for young adults remains under-researched. Objective: To evaluate and compare the effectiveness of Core Stability Exercises (CSE) with TENS versus General Strengthening Exercises (GSE) with TENS on pain intensity in individuals aged 18-40 years with NSLBP. Method: A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 50 participants (aged 18–40 years) diagnosed with subacute NSLBP. Group A (n=25) received CSE + TENS, and Group B (n=25) received GSE + TENS. The intervention lasted 4 weeks (3 sessions/week). Pain was measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) at baseline and post-intervention. Data analysis was performed using non-parametric tests via SPSS 26.0. Results: Baseline characteristics for Age (p=0.542), BMI (p=0.554), and Pre NPRS (p=0.481) showed no significant difference between groups. Both groups showed highly significant within-group pain reduction (p=0.000). However, between-group analysis revealed that Group A (Post-NPRS: 2.36 ± 1.22, Mean Rank = 21.68) demonstrated a statistically significantly greater reduction in pain compared to Group B (Post-NPRS: 2.96 ±1.06, Mean Rank = 29.32) at the end of 4 weeks (p=0.038). Conclusion: Both intervention protocols are effective in reducing pain. However, a 4-week protocol of Core Stability Exercises combined with TENS provides superior pain relief compared to General Strengthening in individuals with non-specific low back pain. Keywords: Core Stability, General Strengthening, TENS, NSLBP, NPRS.
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Steps to reproduce
Participants with non-specific low back pain were randomly divided into two groups. Group A received Core Stability Exercises with TENS and Group B received General Strengthening Exercises with TENS for 4 weeks. Pain intensity was measured using NPRS before and after intervention and analyzed using SPSS 26.0.
Institutions
- Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj UniversityUttar Pradesh, Kanpur