Chronic Low Back PainVF-SMTNCT07887789
Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training in Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain
A study testing Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training and Conventional Exercise Training in people with Chronic Low Back Pain, run by Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Chronic nonspecific low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can negatively affect physical function and quality of life. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training on pain, functional disability, sensory discrimination, and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Chronic Low Back Pain
- What is being tested?
- Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training and Conventional Exercise Training
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 70 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 15 Nov 2026to 20 May 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adults aged 18 to 65 years.
- Diagnosis of chronic nonspecific low back pain lasting at least 3 months.
- Presence of low back pain symptoms on a daily basis.
- Willingness to participate in the study and provision of written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Specific causes of low back pain, including lumbar disc herniation with neurological deficits, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis of grade II or higher, secondary vertebral lesions, neoplasms, or vascular disorders.
- Lumbar radiculopathy.
- History of lumbar spine surgery.
- Spinal deformity or vertebral fracture.
- Fibromyalgia, rheumatological diseases, or diabetes mellitus.
- Pregnancy.
- Participation in motor imagery training or lumbopelvic exercise programs within the previous 12 months.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
University of Health Sciences, Sancaktepe Şehit Prof. Dr. İlhan Varank Training and Research Hospital
Istanbul, Istanbul, 34794
rumeysa özdemir, MD, drumeysaozdemir@gmail.com
Vildan B SAFER, MD
About this study
Official title: Effectiveness of Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Chronic nonspecific low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that can negatively affect physical function and quality of life. This randomized controlled trial aims to investigate the effectiveness of visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training on pain, functional disability, sensory discrimination, and lumbopelvic motor control in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.
A total of 70 participants aged 18-65 years will be randomly assigned to two groups: visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training or conventional exercise therapy. Both groups will receive 12 treatment sessions over four weeks, with three sessions per week.
Read more
Participants will be evaluated at baseline, immediately after the four-week intervention, and one month after treatment completion. The primary outcomes will be pain intensity and functional disability. Secondary outcomes will include two-point discrimination, lumbopelvic motor control, fear of movement, pain catastrophizing, quality of life, and disability.
The study aims to determine whether visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training provides greater improvements than conventional exercise therapy.
Read the detailed description
Chronic nonspecific low back pain is associated with alterations in sensory processing, body perception, and motor control. Sensorimotor training approaches targeting tactile discrimination and lumbopelvic movement control may contribute to improvements in pain and functional outcomes.
This study is a single-center, prospective, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye.
Seventy adults aged 18-65 years with chronic nonspecific low back pain lasting at least three months will be enrolled and randomly allocated to one of two intervention groups.
The experimental group will receive visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training consisting of two-point discrimination training, graphesthesia exercises, and lumbopelvic motor control exercises , supported by visual feedback. The control group will receive a conventional exercise program consisting of warm-up, stretching, and strengthening exercises.
Both groups will complete 12 supervised treatment sessions over four weeks, with three 30-minute sessions per week.
Assessments will be performed at baseline, immediately after the four-week intervention, and one month after treatment completion. The primary outcomes will be pain intensity, measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and functional disability, measured using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ).
Secondary outcomes will include two-point discrimination, lumbopelvic motor control, kinesiophobia, pain catastrophizing, quality of life, and disability, assessed using the corresponding clinical tests and questionnaires.
- Conditions
- Chronic Low Back Pain
- Being tested
- Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training, Conventional Exercise Training
- Keywords
- Chronic Low Back Pain, Sensorimotor Training, Visual Feedback, Two-Point Discrimination, Lumbopelvic Motor Control
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor TrainingBehavioural
Participants will receive visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training, including two-point discrimination, graphesthesia, and lumbopelvic motor control exercises. Two-point discrimination training will be individualized according to sensory thresholds, with a 10% reduction in distance when 90% accuracy is achieved. Graphesthesia training will involve identifying figures traced on the lumbar region. Motor control exercises will include posterior pelvic tilt, hip hinge, single-leg stance, sitting knee extension, and prone knee flexion-rotation. Mirror-based visual feedback will be provided during motor control exercises. Training will be conducted three times per week for four weeks, totaling 12 sessions of approximately 30 minutes each.
Conventional Exercise TrainingBehavioural
Participants will receive a conventional exercise program consisting of a 5-minute warm-up, 5 minutes of stretching, 15 minutes of strengthening exercises, and a 5-minute cool-down period including diaphragmatic breathing and relaxation exercises.Stretching will target the hamstrings, hip flexors, and lumbar paraspinal muscles and will include knee-to-chest exercises. Strengthening exercises will include curl-ups, straight leg raises, glute bridges, side-lying hip abduction, and bird-dog exercises.The program will be administered three times per week for four weeks, totaling 12 sessions of 30 minutes each.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training | Experimental | Participants in this group will receive visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training, including two-point discrimination training, graphesthesia exercises, and lumbopelvic motor control exercises. The program will be delivered over four weeks, with three sessions per week (12 sessions in total), each lasting approximately 30 minutes. Visual feedback will be provided using a mirror during motor control exercises. Receives: Behavioral: Visual Feedback-Assisted Sensorimotor Training |
| Conventional Exercise Training | Active comparator | Participants will receive a conventional exercise program consisting of warm-up exercises, stretching of the hamstrings, hip flexors, and lumbar muscles, and strengthening exercises including curl-ups, straight leg raises, glute bridges, side-lying hip abduction, and bird-dog exercises. The program will be administered three times weekly for four weeks, totaling 12 sessions of approximately 30 minutes each. Receives: Behavioral: Conventional Exercise Training |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Pain Intensity (Numeric Rating Scale)
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). Higher scores indicate greater pain intensity. Changes in NRS scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Functional Disability (Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire)
Functional disability related to low back pain will be assessed using the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ). The total score ranges from 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating greater disability. Changes in RMDQ scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Secondary outcomes (7)
Change in Lumbar Two-Point Discrimination Threshold
Lumbar tactile spatial acuity will be assessed using a two-point discrimination test with a caliper. The minimum distance at which participants can reliably distinguish two simultaneous touch points will be recorded in millimeters (mm). Lower thresholds indicate better tactile discrimination. Changes from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Lumbopelvic Motor Control (Luomajoki Movement Control Tests)
Lumbopelvic motor control will be assessed using the Luomajoki Movement Control Tests. The test battery consists of six movement control tests evaluating the ability to maintain appropriate lumbar spine control during functional movements. Each test is scored as 0 (correct performance) or 1 (incorrect performance), resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 6. Higher scores indicate greater movement control impairment. Changes in total scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Kinesiophobia (Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia)
Kinesiophobia will be assessed using the 17-item Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (TSK-17). Each item is rated on a 4-point Likert scale. The total score ranges from 17 to 68, with higher scores indicating greater fear of movement and reinjury. Changes in total TSK scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Pain Catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale)
Pain catastrophizing will be assessed using the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), a 13-item self-report questionnaire evaluating rumination, magnification, and helplessness related to pain. Each item is scored from 0 to 4, resulting in a total score ranging from 0 to 52. Higher scores indicate greater pain catastrophizing. Changes in total PCS scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Physical Health-Related Quality of Life (SF-12 Physical Component Summary)
Health-related quality of life will be assessed using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). The questionnaire provides two summary scores: the Physical Component Summary (PCS) and the Mental Component Summary (MCS). Higher scores indicate better physical and mental health, respectively. Changes from baseline will be evaluated at post-intervention and follow-up.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Disability (WHODAS 2.0 - 12-item)
Disability will be assessed using the 12-item World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Each item is scored from 0 (no difficulty) to 4 (extreme difficulty or inability to perform), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 48 using simple summation. Higher scores indicate greater disability. Changes from baseline will be assessed.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Change in Mental Health-Related Quality of Life (SF-12 Mental Component Summary)
Mental health-related quality of life will be assessed using the Mental Component Summary (MCS) score of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12). Higher scores indicate better mental health-related quality of life. Changes in MCS scores from baseline to post-intervention and follow-up will be evaluated.
Measured: Baseline, Week 4 (post-intervention), and Week 8 (1-month follow-up)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Oct 2026
- Study start15 Nov 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion20 Mar 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion20 May 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Chronic Low Back PainStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- This study is a single-center, prospective, two-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial. Participants with chronic nonspecific low back pain will be randomly allocated to either visual feedback-assisted sensorimotor training or conventional exercise training.
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 70 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Sancaktepe Training and Research Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Vildan B Safer, MD, Principal investigator, University of Health Sciences, Sancaktepe Sehit Prof. Dr. Ilhan Varank Training and Research Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07887789
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- SIV-EAH-FTR-2026-001
- Acronym
- VF-SMT
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 15 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 21 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: Individual participant data will not be shared with external researchers. The data collected during this study will be used for the purposes of the research and will be handled confidentially in accordance with ethical and data protection requirements. Only aggregated, anonymized study results will be reported in scientific publications.
Publications
Saner J, Kool J, de Bie RA, Sieben JM, Luomajoki H. Movement control exercise versus general exercise to reduce disability in patients with low back pain and movement control impairment. A randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2011 Sep 23;12:207. doi: 10.1186/1471-2474-12-207.
PubMed 21943318Luomajoki H, Moseley GL. Tactile acuity and lumbopelvic motor control in patients with back pain and healthy controls. Br J Sports Med. 2011 Apr;45(5):437-40. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.2009.060731. Epub 2009 Jun 23.
PubMed 19553222van Baal K, Allofs J, Ehrenbrusthoff K, Gruneberg C, Hering T, Kopkow C, Thiel C. Effects of a movement control and tactile acuity training in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain and control impairment - a randomised controlled pilot study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020 Nov 30;21(1):794. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03727-y.
PubMed 33256694