607 - Core Strengthening to Acutely Reduce Chronic Low Back Pain: A Literature Review

Friday, February 23, 2024

5:00 PM – 6:30 PM EDT

Presenting Author(s)

JP

Joseph Paganoni, MD

Medical Student
AUC
Palm Bay, Florida, United States

Co-Author(s)

MY

Mohammad Yasin, DO

PGY-2 Resident
Montefiore Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
east meadow, New York, United States
JS

Joseph Seldin, MD

Attending Physicain
Jacobi Medical Center / Einstein
Bronx, New York, United States
ZS

Zain Satti, B.S.

Medical Student
NYITCOM
Mill Neck, New York, United States

Objectives: Chronic low back pain is a common complaint amongst patients treated by physiatrists. This review will focus on the possible benefits of core strengthening as an initial treatment for reducing chronic low back pain.

Design: 27 studies including randomized control trials, systemic reviews, and meta-analysis were reviewed from PubMed relating to core strengthening for back pain. Key search words included “core strengthening,” “chronic,” “low back pain,” and “physiatry.”

Results: There are many possible causes of chronic low pain ranging from musculoskeletal, mechanical or trauma. As patients age, they lose strength in their rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, external oblique, erector spinae, and multifidus muscles. The function of these muscles is to provide strength and stability to the abdomen and spine. Without this stability, abnormal spinal movement can occur resulting in pain. Patients often would benefit from working on core strengthening to reduce their back pain prior to more invasive treatment. Research has shown that there is a reduction of pain acutely with strengthening of the core muscles. Some of the benefits noted include improved flexibility, function, and stability of the spine. Core strengthening was well tolerated for most patients with little to no adverse outcomes. Long term pain relief is not shown, more research would be needed to determine the continued benefit of core strengthening.

Conclusions: Core strengthening is an important consideration for physiatrists when treating patients with chronic low back pain prior to invasive treatment. Many patients see improvement of pain in the short term as well as other benefits such as increased strength and flexibility. The core exercises are generally well tolerated. More studies are needed to access long term pain relief.