Effects of McKenzie and stabilization exercises in reducing pain intensity and functional disability in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain: a systematic review.
Anas Mohammed Alhakami, Sally Davis, Mohammed Qasheesh and 2 others
PMID 31417227WHAT IT FOUND
McKenzie and stabilization exercises were reported to reduce pain and disability in chronic nonspecific low back pain, but direct comparison evidence is limited and mixed.
Key findings
01Ten randomized controlled trials in people with chronic nonspecific low back pain were included.
02Only two trials directly compared McKenzie and stabilization exercises, and stabilization was reported as effective as McKenzie for pain and disability.
03Compared with other treatments, McKenzie exercises were better for pain in one trial and for disability in two trials, while stabilization exercises were better for pain in two trials and for disability in three trials.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Nine of the 10 included trials were judged to have high risk of bias, and only one had low risk. None of the included trials met the review's criteria for complete blinding; eight had assessor blinding and two had no blinding. Five of the 10 trials were described by their authors as having small sample sizes. Only two trials directly compared McKenzie and stabilization exercises. The trials used different follow-up periods, intervention durations, comparisons, and pain or disability scales, which made quantitative pooling difficult.
Declared interests
The authors reported no funding or conflict of interest information.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that McKenzie exercises are better than stabilization exercises for chronic nonspecific low back pain. Only two included trials compared them directly, and the review states that there is insufficient evidence to draw a conclusive comparison.