Effect of Eight Weeks of Core Stability and Acupuncture on Pain and Disability in Middle Age Females with Non-Specific Chronic Low Back Pain

The present study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of eight weeks of core stability and acupuncture on pain and disability in middle age females with non-specific chronic low back pain.
A total of 45 females with non-specific chronic low back pain participated in the current semi-experimental study and were randomly divided into three groups: acupuncture, core stability training, and control. Before and after the intervention, visual analogue scale and the QUEBEC disability index were used to assess pain intensity and disability, respectively. The differences between and within groups were analyze running ANOVA and pair t-test, respectively.
The results showed that the disability and intensity pain decreased significantly in the acupuncture and stability training groups [P≤0.05], yet no significant difference was found between the two interventions in the post-test [P≥0.05].
According to the results, it seems that both acupuncture and core stability training can decrease pain and functional disability intensity in females with non-specific chronic low back pain. However, still, we cannot claim on the superiority of one of them, and thus further studies are needed.