Effects Of Sahrmann's Versus McGill Exercise In Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain

June 16, 2026 updated by: Samrood Akram, Riphah International University

Effects Of Sahrmann's Versus McGill Exercise On Pain, Disability, And Range Of Motion In Patients With Non-Specific Low Back Pain

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether Sahrmann exercises or McGill exercises are more effective for reducing pain and improving function in adults with non-specific low back pain. It will also evaluate which exercise program is more effective in improving spinal range of motion.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Do Sahrmann exercises reduce pain more effectively than McGill exercises? Do Sahrmann exercises improve disability more effectively than McGill exercises? Do Sahrmann exercises improve lumbar range of motion more effectively than McGill exercises?

Researchers will compare a Sahrmann exercise program with a McGill exercise program to determine which approach produces better outcomes in patients with non-specific low back pain.

Participants will:

Be randomly assigned to either a Sahrmann exercise group or a McGill exercise group.

Receive standard physical therapy treatment, including heat therapy and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS).

Perform the assigned exercise program under the supervision of a physiotherapist.

Attend exercise sessions 3-5 times per week during the study period. Complete assessments of pain, disability, and lumbar range of motion before and after the intervention.

Have pain measured using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), disability measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and lumbar range of motion measured using a Baseline Bubble Inclinometer.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Non-specific low back pain (NSLBP) is one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorders and a major cause of disability worldwide. It is characterized by pain localized between the lower rib margins and the gluteal folds without a specific identifiable pathology. Individuals with NSLBP often experience pain, reduced spinal mobility, impaired motor control, and functional limitations that negatively affect daily activities and quality of life.

Exercise-based rehabilitation is widely recommended as a first-line treatment for NSLBP. Core stabilization exercises have gained considerable attention because deficits in trunk muscle function and lumbopelvic stability are believed to contribute to the persistence and recurrence of low back pain. Among the commonly used approaches, Sahrmann exercises and McGill exercises are designed to improve spinal stability through different mechanisms.

The Sahrmann approach emphasizes motor control training and the correction of movement impairments through progressive lumbopelvic stabilization exercises. The McGill approach focuses on enhancing spinal stability and muscular endurance while minimizing spinal loading through a series of stabilization exercises commonly referred to as the McGill Big Three. Although both approaches are frequently used in rehabilitation practice, evidence directly comparing their effectiveness in individuals with NSLBP remains limited.

This randomized controlled trial aims to compare the effects of Sahrmann exercises and McGill exercises on clinical outcomes in adults with non-specific low back pain. Participants will be randomly allocated to one of two treatment groups and will receive a supervised exercise program in addition to standard physical therapy care. Clinical assessments will be conducted before and after the intervention period to evaluate changes in pain, functional disability, and lumbar mobility.

The findings of this study may help identify the more effective exercise-based rehabilitation approach for individuals with non-specific low back pain and provide evidence to support clinical decision-making in physical therapy practice.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

42

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed patients of non-specific low back pain Adults between 18-35 years. Both male and female included Low back pain for minimum of three months NPRS score 3-7 will be recruited in this study.

Exclusion Criteria:

History of any trauma and spinal injury History of previous lumbar surgery History of cancer, spinal infection, rheumatologic diseases, spine fracture, red flag signs.

Congenital anomly (scoliosis, kyphosis) Systemic diseases affecting bones & joints such as rheumatoid arthritis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group A: (Sahrmann's Exercises)
The patients in this group will receive conventional Sahrmann's exercises along with baseline treatment for non-specific low back pain.
Other: Sahrmann's Exercises

Group A will receive sahrmann's exercises after the baseline treatment. It will be including 5 levels:

Level 1 The participant slowly raised one leg to a position of approximately 90° hip flexion with 90° knee flexion.

Level 2 From the final position of the previous level, the participant slowly lowered one leg such that the heel contacted the ground/plinth.

Level 3 From the end position of level 1, the participant slowly lowered one leg such that the heel reached approximate 12cm above the ground. Then the leg slid out to fully extend the knee.

Level 4 From the final position of level 1, the participant slowly lowered both legs together such that the heels contacted the plinth. Then the legs slid out to fully extend the knees.

Level 5 From the final position of level 1, the participant slowly lowered both legs simultaneously such that the heels reached 12 cm above the ground. The legs then slid out to fully extend the knees.
Active Comparator: Group B: (McGill Exercises)
The patients in this group will receive McGill Exercises along with baseline treatment for non-specific low back pain.
Other: McGill Exercises

Patients will receive three exercises for rehabilitating lower back pain, termed the McGill Big Three (MGB3).

Mcgill begins with motion exercise (cat-camel motion exercise. It consists of six to eight cycle of spinal flexion and extension in quadruped position.

  1. Curl-up In which patient flexes one knee while keeping the other straight to minimize loss neutral posture. Then, the patient gently raises just the head and shoulders a short distance off the floor.
  2. Side plank The patient lying on the side supported on his elbow and hip, knees bent to 90 degrees, free hand place on the opposite shoulder. The patient then raises his trunk until the body supported on elbows and knees. If patient not able to perform side support exercise, the patient would assume the side lying position and initiate the contraction of quadratus lumborum by trying to lift both lower limbs up toward the ceiling.
  3. Bird-dog The bird dog exercise (opposite arm and leg extension in the quadruped position) carri

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
Time Frame: upto 6 weeks
In the current study, patients with NPRS score 3-7 will be recruited. Patient level of pain will be assessed using this scale. NRS is 11-points (NRS-11) which counts the pain and is wildly used in clinical settings because it is easy to administer and score. The patient is asked to indicate the value of his pain on the scale. A 11-point scale was used, with "0" representing "no pain" and "10" representing the "most severe pain imaginable" at the time of assessment (10). The Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) demonstrates moderate to excellent test-retest reliability with ICC values ranging from 0.58 to 0.93, and good construct validity with correlation coefficients of 0.48 to 0.54
upto 6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Time Frame: upto 6 weeks
The ODI was the primary outcomes used to assess self-reports of disability caused by LBP. The ODI is made up of 10 sections scored from 0 to 5 points, each section contain 6 statements with the total score ranging from 0 to 50 points. A higher score on questionnaires indicates a higher level of disability. The ODI (ICC > 0.84) has been recognized as valid and reliable tools for patients suffering from chronic LBP.
upto 6 weeks
Baseline Bubble Inclinometer
Time Frame: upto 6 weeks
A Baseline Bubble Inclinometer (Model 10602 built by Fabrication Enterprise Inc., USA) was used to measure the active back flexion and extension range of motion without thoraco-lumbar pain. To evaluate the active thoraco-lumbar flexion and extension range of motion, the inclinometer was used at the T12-L1 spinous process.
upto 6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Riphah International University

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Fatima Khan, MSPT*, Riphah International University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

July 30, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 16, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • REC/RCR & AHS/25/0137

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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