Egoscue and Core Stabilization for Chronic Low Back Pain

Egoscue Based Postural Correction Combined With Core Stabilization Exercises in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain

Chronic low back pain is a widespread musculoskeletal condition that limits mobility and affects quality of life. It is often caused due to the poor posture, hyperlordosis and weak core muscles. This randomized clinical trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of egoscue based postural correction combined with core stabilization exercises compared to core stabilization exercises alone in managing chronic low back pain. The primary outcomes measures includes numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), while secondary outcomes includes range of motion (Inclinometer), and posture (flexicurve Ruler).

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Chronic Low Back Pain (CLBP)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Egoscue exercises and Core stabilization exercises:; Other: Core stabilization exercises

Detailed Description

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a highly prevalent musculoskeletal condition characterized by pain and discomfort in the lumbar region. It significantly affects functional activities, posture, mobility, and quality of life. Persistent low back pain may lead to muscle weakness, reduced spinal stability, limited range of motion, and increased disability in daily activities. Poor posture, especially lumbar hyperlordosis, is considered one of the contributing biomechanical factors associated with chronic low back pain. Core stabilization exercises are widely used in physiotherapy rehabilitation for chronic low back pain. Improvement in core muscle activation helps enhance spinal stability, reduce mechanical stress on the lumbar spine, improve functional performance, and decrease pain intensity.

Egoscue-based postural correction exercises are designed to improve body alignment, muscle balance, and postural symmetry through a sequence of therapeutic exercises. These exercises focus on correcting abnormal posture, restoring muscular balance, and improving movement patterns.

Although both core stabilization exercises and Egoscue-based postural correction exercises have individually shown beneficial effects in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, there is limited evidence regarding their combined effectiveness in patients with chronic low back pain associated with lumbar hyperlordosis.

Therefore, this randomized clinical trial aims to compare Egoscue-based postural correction combined with core stabilization exercises versus core stabilization exercises alone in patients with chronic low back pain.

Pain intensity will be measured using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and functional disability Urdu Version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). Secondary outcomes will include lumbar range of motion measured by inclinometer and posture/lumbar lordosis assessed by the Flexicurve ruler. The findings of this study may provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of combining Egoscue-based postural correction with core stabilization exercises for improving pain, disability, posture, and spinal mobility in patients with chronic low back pain.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 64
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Pakistan
  • Punjab Province
    • Lahore, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 54782
      • The university of lahore teaching hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 25-55 years , both genders
• Pain 4-7/10 (NPRS)
• Patients with chronic low back pain
• Hyperlumbar lordosis

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients with lumbar radiculopathy
• Patients taking painkiller medications, patients with other spinal pathologies
• Patients with neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis), patients with any cardiac or psychological disorders

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Interventional Group A; These patients will receive Egoscue-based postural correction exercises combined with core stabilization exercises alongside physiotherapy care for the management of chronic low back pain.	Other: Egoscue exercises and Core stabilization exercises: Physiotherapy care:10 minutes hot pack therapy combined with TENS for pain relief, reduce muscle spasm,and muscle relaxation before exercise; Egoscue exercises:20 minutes Egoscue-based postural correction exercises including Static Back Exercise,Static Back with Breathing,Abdominal Contraction,Abductor Press(3sets 5reps)hold10sec,Overhead Extension,Elbow Curls on Wall,Static Wall, Upper Spinal Twist,Pelvic Tilts,Supine Groin Progression,Air Bench.(3sets 5reps); Core stabilization exercises:15 minutes core stabilization exercises including Crook Lying Position(20sec),Crook Lying with One Leg Extended,Quadruped with Neutral Head(3X5reps),Plank Position(10sec),prone lying arm at side(15sec),Sitting Erect on Chair,trunk muscle activation,and postural control.; Treatment schedule:Session will consist 45 minutes including 10 minutes hot pack with TENS,20 minutes Egoscue exercises, and 15 minutes core stabilization exercises.Treatment will be provided 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks; Other: Core stabilization exercises; Physiotherapy care: 10 minutes of hot pack therapy combined with TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) for pain relief, reduction of muscle spasm, and muscle relaxation before exercise intervention.; Core stabilization exercises:15 minutes core stabilization exercises including Crook Lying Position(20sec),Crook Lying with One Leg Extended,Quadruped with Neutral Head(3X5reps),Plank Position(10sec),prone lying arm at side(15sec),Sitting Erect on Chair,trunk muscle activation,and postural control.; Treatment schedule: Total treatment session will consist of 45 minutes including 10 minutes of hot pack with TENS and 35 minutes of core stabilization exercises. Treatment will be provided 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks.
Active Comparator: Interventional Group B; These patients will receive core stabilization exercises alongside physiotherapy care for the management of chronic low back pain with hyperlumbar lordosis.	Other: Core stabilization exercises; Physiotherapy care: 10 minutes of hot pack therapy combined with TENS (Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation) for pain relief, reduction of muscle spasm, and muscle relaxation before exercise intervention.; Core stabilization exercises:15 minutes core stabilization exercises including Crook Lying Position(20sec),Crook Lying with One Leg Extended,Quadruped with Neutral Head(3X5reps),Plank Position(10sec),prone lying arm at side(15sec),Sitting Erect on Chair,trunk muscle activation,and postural control.; Treatment schedule: Total treatment session will consist of 45 minutes including 10 minutes of hot pack with TENS and 35 minutes of core stabilization exercises. Treatment will be provided 3 sessions per week for 8 weeks.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity	Change in pain intensity measured using the numeric pain rating scale (NPRS)	Baseline, 4th week and at 8 weeks of intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Functional Disability	Functional disability assessed using the Urdu version of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which measures limitations in activities of daily living related to low back pain	Baseline, 4th week and at 8 weeks of intervention
Lumbar Range of Motion (ROM)	Lumbar spine range of motion measured using an Inclinometer, a reliable tool for assessing joint angle movement.	Baseline, 4th week and at 8 weeks of intervention
Postural Alignment	Lumbar lordosis and postural changes assessed using a Flexicurve Ruler, which measures spinal curvature by tracing the contour of the lumbar spine	Baseline, 4 weeks and at 8th week of intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Lahore
• Investigators: Study Chair: Sahreen Anwar, PhD, University of Lahore

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): November 15, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 15, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 28, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): July 6, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 6, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 28, 2026
• Last Verified: September 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Posture; Chronic low back pain; Disability; Range of motion; Core stabilization exercises; Hyperlordosis; Postural correction; Egoscue; numeric pain rating scale (NPRS); Oswestry Disability index (ODI)
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Deficiency Diseases; Malnutrition; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Animal Diseases; Sheep Diseases; Swayback
• Other Study ID Numbers: UOL/IREB/25/12/0038

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