Choice over prescription: could picking your own workouts beat a Physio's plan for back pain?
NCT ID NCT07745465
First seen Aug 04, 2026 · Last updated Aug 05, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot trial asks whether letting people with chronic low back pain choose their own resistance exercises works as well as a physiotherapist-prescribed routine. About 34 adults with back pain lasting at least 12 weeks will be split into two groups: one follows a fixed set of six exercises, while the other picks six exercises daily from a board of options. Over 12 weeks, researchers will compare pain intensity, disability, satisfaction, and other measures to see if giving patients more control improves outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- A self-selected resistance training program where participants choose their own exercises from a set of options, compared with a physiotherapist-prescribed program.
- What this could lead to
- If letting people pick their own exercises works as well as a prescribed plan, it could make exercise therapy for chronic low back pain more flexible, enjoyable, and easier to stick with.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 34 participants, so results may not apply broadly. Some people may not improve, and any exercise program carries a small risk of muscle soreness or injury.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 34 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 65 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria a) Male and female participants aged 18-65 years b) Low back pain, with or without referred pain to the lower limb, persisting for ≥12 weeks c) Not currently engaged in a regular structured exercise programme d) Sufficient cognitive and communication abilities to complete the assessment scales and participate in the study intervention Exclusion Criteria 1. Lumbar radiculopathy or radicular pain syndrome, defined by clinical signs of nerve root involvement (e.g., dermatomal pain, neurological deficits, or positive neurodynamic tests) 2. Serious spinal or non-spinal pathology explaining low back pain, identified through clinical assessment (e.g., malignancy, vertebral fracture, spinal infection, cauda equina syndrome, inflammatory spinal disease, vascular, visceral or other serious causes). 3. Medical contraindications to exercise, as determined by the treating physician The presence of lumbar degenerative imaging findings (e.g., degenerative disc disease, lumbar spondylosis, facet joint osteoarthritis, or Modic changes) will not constitute an exclusion criterion, provided that the clinical presentation is consistent with chronic low back pain.
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As listed by the trial registrant
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How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.