Supervised Group Exercise Therapy Versus Home-based Exercise Therapy: The Effect of McGill Exercises on Pain, Disability and Trunk Stability in Middle-aged Women With Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain

Purpose: Chronic low back pain (LBP) is one of the spine disorders and musculoskeletal problems and is one of the most common causes of people’s disability. This study aims to compare the effects of McGill trunk stability exercises performed at home or in a supervised group setting on pain, disability, and trunk stability in middle-aged women with non-specific chronic LBP. Methods: The current study is a cross-sectional comparative, quasi-experimental research with a pre-test and post-test design. The statistical sample included 30 middle-aged women aged 35 to 50 years with non-specific chronic LBP in Tehran City, Iran. Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, they were selected and randomly assigned into two groups, home-based exercises, and supervised group exercises. The subjects performed McGill trunk stability exercises for six weeks, three 45-minute sessions per week. Pain, disability, and endurance of spinal flexor and extensor muscles were measured using pain and Quebec questionnaires, a sit-up test, and a Biering-Sorenson test, before and after 6 weeks of training. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, paired-samples t-test, and one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) tests were used at the significant level of (P≤0.05) using SPSS software, version 26. Results: The results of the present study showed that the post-test scores compared to the pre-test in both groups have improved significantly (P≥0.05), and no significant difference was observed between the two groups with the control of the covariate variable (P<0.05) in the intensity of pain and endurance of the spinal flexor muscles in the post-test scores. However, a significant difference was observed in the endurance of the spinal extensor muscles in the post-test scores of the two groups in favor of the home-based exercise group (P≥0.05). Additionally, in the post-test scores, a significant difference was observed in functional disability level between the two groups (P≥0.05) so that the degree of disability in the home-based exercise group was higher than in the supervised group. Conclusion: It seems that performing McGill exercises, either in supervised group or home-based settings, can reduce pain and disability, and improve the endurance of the spinal flexor and extensor muscles in middle-aged women with non-specific chronic LBP.