Journal of Anesthesiology and Pain

Background: Aging come with muscle weakness and musculoskeletal-related pain. This study aimed to examine the effects of core stabilization exercise on ultrasonic changes of multifidus muscle and chronic low back pain of aged-women.

Methods: Twenty-nine aged-women (69±3.4 year old) with chronic low back pain were allocated into core stabilization exercise (9 women) and control (20 women) groups according to subject's needed calculation (statistic power test). Exercise training were performed 10 weeks (3days/week) and consisted of eight core stabilization exercises. Ultrasonic characteristics of lumbar multifidus muscle (lumbar forth vertebrate) of both groups were measured before and after 10 weeks. Multifidus cross sectional area, anterio-posterior border, and Lateral border also were measured. Moreover, pain status was examined with visual analogue scale in three times (pre-, middle, and post-intervention).

Results: Ten weeks core stabilization exercise leaded to significant increase in lumbar multifidus's two anterio-posterior and lateral borders (p<0/05). Ten weeks core stabilization exercise significantly increased multifidus cross sectional area as well (-1.98±1.31, confidence interval= -3.36 to -0.59). Also, pain significantly decreased in two middle and post-intervention phases compare to pre-intervention in core stabilization exercise group (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Core stabilization exercise not only increased cross sectional area of multifidus but also, decreased chronic low back pain of aged women. Also, at least five weeks core stabilization exercise lead to low back pain reduction.