Overall, findings from the relevant available research suggest that exercise can be effective for both preventing and treating LBP.

For example, a 2018 meta-analysis of 8 randomized controlled trials found that exercise reduced the risk of LBP by 33%.^[3] However, the meta-analysis did not try to differentiate between the effects of different types of exercise, which were not limited to core strength training, but also involved general strengthening exercises, mixed exercise types, neuromuscular exercise, and yoga.

Fortunately, a 2021 network meta-analysis of 217 randomized controlled trials, summarized previously, involving 20,969 adults with nonspecific low back pain did examine exercise subtypes. According to the findings, all types of exercise, other than flexibility exercise, improved LBP intensity, compared to minimal treatment. The most effective types of exercise were Pilates, McKenzie therapy, functional restoration, and core strengthening exercises.^[4] Moreover, all types of exercise, including core strengthening exercises, improved LBP-related disability. When comparing different types of exercise, core strengthening exercises were more effective for improving LBP intensity and LBP-related disability than several other exercise types, including mixed exercise types and aerobic exercise, which are likely the types of exercise that most resemble basic combat training. However, it’s important to keep in mind that unlike the summarized trial, the trials included in the meta-analysis involved participants with existing low back pain.

Taken together, the findings from the available research suggest that exercise can lower the risk of LBP, and that some types of exercise, including core strengthening exercises, can be more effective than other types of exercise for improving LBP-related outcomes in people with existing LBP. However, other than the trial summarized here, no other trials have specifically examined the effects of CMFST for preventing LBP in people without existing LBP.

Latest Studies on Acute Back Pain