Since the early 2000’s the notion of cueing pre-engagement of transversus abdominis (TrA) and lumbar multifidus has been widely accepted as standard practice in the physiotherapy, exercise and Pilates worlds.
Sadly it is not an evidence-based practice.
In this video, Raphael Bender from Breathe Education reviews the evidence on ‘motor control’ training (retraining of TrA and lumbar multifidus).
Read the research
- Motor control exercise for nonspecific low back pain – a systematic reivew (2016)
- An update of stabilisation exercises for low back pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis (2014)
- Motor control exercise for persistent, nonspecific low back pain. A systematic review (2009)
- Motor control exercises reduces pain and disability in chronic recurrent back pain: a meta-analysis (2013)
- Segmental stabilizing exercises and low back pain. What is the evidence? A systematic review of randomized controlled trials (2006)
- Specific spinal stabilisation exercises in patients with low back pain – a systematic review (2007)
- Specific stabilisation exercise for spinal stabilization – a systematic review (2006)
