Comparison of the Effect of Core Stability and Suspension Training on Beta Endorphin, Pain, and Functional Disability in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Clinical Trial

Exercise therapy is one of the management methods of disc herniation, and comparing the effectiveness of common exercises with novel exercises has been considered by researchers. The aim of this study was to compare and determine two programs of core stability and suspension training on beta-endorphin, pain, and functional disability in people with lumbar disc herniation.

In this clinical trial study, 32 men with disc herniation were randomly divided into three groups of core stability training (n=10), suspension training (n=12), and control (n=10). Serum beta-endorphin, pain, and functional disability were measured on the day before and immediately after the intervention period. The intervention period consisted of 8 weeks of core stability and suspension training, while the control group was only followed up. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-test and multivariate analysis of covariance test (MANCOVA).

All results showed a significant improvement in both intervention groups (p<0.05), while no significant change was observed in the control group (p>0.05). In the post-test comparison, the suspension group showed a significant improvement in pain and functional disability compared to the core stability group (p<0.05), but differences were not significant in serum beta-endorphin levels (p>0.05). Changes in all variables were significantly different in both training groups compared to the control group (p<0.05).

The results of the study showed that both types of training improved beta-endorphin levels, pain, and functional disability in people with lumbar disc herniation; however, suspension training was more effective in reducing pain and functional disability than core stability training.