Comparison of Traditional, Synchronous, and Asynchronous Telerehabilitation in Office Workers With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain

July 13, 2026 updated by: Özge Mine Yilmaz, Istanbul Aydın University

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Traditional, Synchronous, and Asynchronous Telerehabilitation Approaches in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain in Office Workers

Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain (NLBP) is a common condition that occurs without a specific underlying pathology, resulting in muscle tension, pain, and a decreased quality of life. Office workers are particularly at risk due to prolonged sitting, ergonomic errors, and low physical activity. While exercise therapy is a primary approach for management, low adherence rates often limit its effectiveness. Telerehabilitation (remote, technology-supported physiotherapy) stands out for its potential to increase access and support continuity of care.

This study is a randomized controlled trial that will be conducted with 45 office workers aged 18-65 diagnosed with chronic NLBP. Participants will be randomly assigned to three parallel groups: traditional exercise (brochure-based), synchronous telerehabilitation (live sessions), and asynchronous telerehabilitation (pre-recorded videos). The intervention protocol will be implemented for 8 weeks. Evaluations will be performed before and after the 8-week period using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain intensity, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for functional disability, Short Form-36 (SF-36) for health-related quality of life, and a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire.

The aim of this study is to compare the effects of traditional, synchronous, and asynchronous telerehabilitation approaches on pain, disability, quality of life, and satisfaction to determine the most effective management model for office workers with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

45

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

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34295
        • Istanbul Aydin University, Faculty of Health Sciences
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Özge Mine YILMAZ, Ass Prof

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
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Being an office worker aged between 18 and 65 years.
  • Diagnosed with chronic non-specific low back pain (symptoms persisting for more than 3 months).
  • Volunteering to participate in the study and signing the informed consent form.
  • Having a computer, smartphone, or tablet with a stable internet connection capable of supporting video calls.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - History of spinal surgery, structural spinal deformities (e.g., severe scoliosis), or specific causes of low back pain (e.g., disc herniation with severe radiculopathy, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis).
  • Diagnosis of systemic, rheumatological, neurological, or inflammatory diseases affecting the musculoskeletal system.
  • Serious cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions that contraindicate physical exercise.
  • Currently receiving active physical therapy or regular medical intervention for low back pain elsewhere.
  • Pregnancy.

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
Active Comparator: Traditional Exercise Group
Participants will receive a standard physiotherapy program including stretching, core stabilization, and motor control exercises for low back pain, delivered face-to-face by a physiotherapist in a clinical environment at Istanbul Aydın University
Behavioral: Face-to-Face Clinic-Based Exercise
The exercise protocol consists of stretching, core stabilization, and motor control exercises for low back pain. Frequency: Performed 3 days a week for 8 weeks, consisting of 2 sets of 10 repetitions (approximately 45-60 minutes per session). It will be delivered face-to-face by a physiotherapist in a clinical environment at Istanbul Aydin University.
Experimental: Synchronous Telerehabilitation Group
Participants will participate in the same exercise program (stretching, core stabilization, and motor control exercises) via live, real-time online video sessions supervised by a physiotherapist.
Behavioral: Synchronous Telerehabilitation Exercise
The exercise protocol consists of stretching, core stabilization, and motor control exercises for low back pain. Frequency: Performed 3 days a week for 8 weeks, consisting of 2 sets of 10 repetitions (approximately 45-60 minutes per session). It will be delivered via live, real-time online video sessions supervised by a physiotherapist.
Experimental: Asynchronous Telerehabilitation Group
Participants will be provided with pre-recorded instructional exercise videos containing the same program. They will follow and perform the exercises individually at their own convenience.
Behavioral: Asynchronous Telerehabilitation Exercise
The exercise protocol consists of stretching, core stabilization, and motor control exercises for low back pain. Frequency: Performed 3 days a week for 8 weeks, consisting of 2 sets of 10 repetitions (approximately 45-60 minutes per session). Participants will be provided with pre-recorded instructional exercise videos and follow the exercises individually at their own convenience.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Functional Disability Level
Time Frame: Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)
Evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to measure functional disability related to low back pain. The questionnaire consists of 10 items, and the total score is expressed as a percentage ranging from 0% to 100%. A score of 0% indicates no disability, while 100% represents the highest possible level of functional disability. Higher percentages mean a worse functional outcome.
Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Health-Related Quality of Life
Time Frame: Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)
Evaluated using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire, which measures 8 health domains. Scores range from 0 to 100 for each domain, where higher scores represent a better health-related quality of life.
Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)
Pain Intensity Assessed via Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)
Measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for low back pain, where participants rate their pain on a 10-centimeter horizontal line. Scores range from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the most severe imaginable pain. Higher scores represent worse pain outcomes.
Baseline and Post-intervention (Week 8)
Patient Satisfaction
Time Frame: Post-intervention (Week 8)
Measured using the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire. Total scores range from 0 to 100 (converted from the multi-item scale), where 0 indicates total dissatisfaction and 100 indicates the highest level of satisfaction. Higher scores mean a better outcome.
Post-intervention (Week 8)

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Istanbul Aydın University

Collaborators

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

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)

August 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

November 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 6, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 13, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 13, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TUBITAK-1919B012522773

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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