Effects of Multifidus Lift Exercise on Endurance, Pain, and Disability in University Students With Low Back Pain
Not yet recruitingNot applicableNCT07182825
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov Recruiting status changes often. Contact the study team listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, and talk to your doctor before joining a study.
This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.
Brief summary (from the registry)
Nonspecific low back pain is a common musculoskeletal problem that also affects many young adults, including university students. It can negatively impact academic performance, daily life, and overall well-being. Research shows that stabilization exercises targeting the lumbar multifidus muscle play an important role in rehabilitation, but it is unclear whether modified versions of these exercises may provide additional benefits. This study will investigate a simple modification of the traditional "bird-dog" exercise, called the "Multifidus Lift Exercise." In this version, participants maintain the contralateral knee about 10 cm above the ground while in a four-point kneeling position. This adjustment is expected to increase multifidus activation and improve back endurance. University students aged 18-25 with nonspecific low back pain will participate in a 6-week supervised program, performing the exercise twice weekly. A healthy control group without low back pain will also be included. The main outcome will be back extensor muscle endurance (Biering-Sørensen Test). In participants with back pain, pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale) and functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index) will also be measured. The study aims to determine whether this low-cost, practical, and time-efficient exercise can improve muscle endurance, reduce pain, and decrease disability in young adults with low back pain. Results may provide evidence for an effective and accessible preventive and therapeutic approach in student populations.
Study details
- Official title
- Evaluation of the Effects of Multifidus Lift Exercise on Endurance, Pain, and Disability in University Students With Low Back Pain
- Conditions
- Low Back Pain
- Non Specific Chronic Low Back Pain
- Healthy Vollunteer
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Modified Multifidus Lift Exercise (MLE)
- Sponsor
- Mehmet Akif Guler
- Collaborators
- The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey
- Organization
- Selcuk University
- Start date
- 2025-10-01
- Primary completion
- 2026-01-31
- Sex
- All
- Age range
- from 18 Years to 25 Years
- Healthy volunteers
- true
- Results posted
- No results posted in this snapshot
- Countries
- Turkey (Türkiye)
- Total sites listed
- 1
Eligibility criteria
Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * Age between 18 and 25 years Currently enrolled as a university student at Selçuk University Willing to participate voluntarily and sign informed consent form Medically suitable for exercise participation For NSCLBP group: History of nonspecific chronic low back pain within the past 3 months Physician confirmation of nonspecific low back pain Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) ≥ 21% (moderate disability) Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score ≥ 3.5 For Healthy control group: No history of low back pain within the past 3 months Physician confirmation of no contraindications for exercise Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of radicular pain or nerve root compression symptoms History of spinal surgery Neurological deficits within the past 3 months (e.g., muscle weakness, reflex loss, paresthesia) Systemic infection or systemic disease affecting participation Cardiovascular or pulmonary disease contraindicating exercise Clinical "red flag" symptoms (e.g., saddle anesthesia, bowel/bladder incontinence, fever, known cancer) Pregnancy Regular use of analgesics, muscle relaxants, or anti-inflammatory medications Participation in regular exercise programs in the past 3 months Active involvement in sports directly affecting lumbar muscles (e.g., fitness, pilates, yoga, swimming) Inability to comply with exercise sessions or study protocol
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07182825