Comparing Myofascial Exercise and Trigger Point Therapy for Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Description

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if two common physical therapy approaches, used alone or together, can help reduce pain and improve daily function in adults with nonspecific low back pain. Nonspecific low back pain means low back pain without a clear medical cause. The main questions this study aims to answer are: 1. Does hands-on pressure to painful muscle spots (called myofascial trigger point therapy) help lower low back pain? 2. Does a guided exercise program that focuses on how muscles work together help lower low back pain? 3. Does combining hands-on therapy with exercise work better than using either approach alone? Researchers will compare three groups to see which approach leads to greater improvement. One group will receive hands-on trigger point therapy, one group will do a specific exercise program, and one group will receive both treatments. Participants will: * Be assigned to one of the three treatment groups by chance * Receive treatment twice a week for four weeks * Complete simple assessments before treatment starts, after the first treatment session, and after the final session The results of this study may help physical therapists choose better noninvasive treatment options for people with nonspecific low back pain.

Interventions

• Myofascial Trigger Point Manual Compression (Other)
  This intervention consists of noninvasive hands-on manual pressure applied by a licensed physical therapist to identified myofascial trigger points associated with nonspecific low back pain. Treatment sessions are provided twice per week over a four-week period. Manual compression is applied using standardized clinical procedures at an intensity tolerated by the participant. The selection of trigger points follows predefined criteria to ensure consistency across treatment sessions. This intervention is noninvasive and does not involve the use of any drugs or medical devices.
• Myofascial Chain-Based Specific Exercise (Other)
  This intervention is a supervised, noninvasive exercise program delivered by a licensed physical therapist. Participants attend exercise sessions twice per week for four weeks. The program focuses on movement control and muscle function within targeted myofascial chains and is tailored based on functional muscle performance. Exercise selection and progression follow standardized clinical criteria to promote safe and consistent implementation. This intervention is noninvasive and does not involve the use of any drugs or medical devices.

Eligibility criteria

Conditions

Locations

• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University — Taipei, Taipei City, Taiwan
• National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University — Taipei, Taiwan