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International Journal of Physiotherapy Research and Clinical Practice

Article

The McGill Approach to Core Stabilization in the Treatment of Low Back Pain in Sports Population : A Review
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International Journal of Physiotherapy Research and Clinical Practice

DOI: 10.54839/ijprcp.v2i4.22.14

Year: 2023, Volume: 2, Issue: 4, Pages: 18-21

Review Article

The McGill Approach to Core Stabilization in the Treatment of Low Back Pain in Sports Population : A Review

Alagappan Thiyagarajan1,*, A Mohamed Nainar2, L Hari Babu3

1Senior Sports Physiotherapist, Department of Sports Medicine, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
2Senior Physiotherapist, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehablitation, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Kelambakkam, Chennai
3Chief Physiotherapist, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Chettinad Academy of Research and Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

*Corresponding Author
Email: [email protected]

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

A significant contributor to disability, low back pain (LBP) is getting worse overall. The varying nature of the exercise regimens recommended to treat low back pain in the sports community contributes to the lack of clarity surrounding the prevention and rehabilitation of LBP. In order to treat lower back discomfort, several authors have suggested stabilising activities that place less stress on the spine. Despite the wide range of exercise therapy currently available, McGill has developed the "McGill Big Three," three exercises for treating lower back pain (MGB3). The curl-up, side plank, and bird-dog are a few of these. Examining the clinical results of giving the MGB3 to people with persistent LBP is the goal of this review. Randomized control trials using MGB3 core stabilisation exercises for patients with chronic low back pain met the inclusion criteria. The study covered all full-text papers written in English that were published at any time. One author independently reviewed studies for quality. This review included a total of four randomised control trials. There were several cohorts analysed, each with its own age, demographics, and occupation. Numerous pain levels as well as patient-reported functional and performance indicators were among the outcomes examined. Controlled clinical trials using this approach to treat low back pain produced poor-quality data with mixed statistical significance, little to no clinical significance, and this was true regardless of the measure utilized or even when compared to baseline. These studies all have limitations. McGill approach has an in-depth assessment with physical and laboratory based testing followed with an big 3 exercise prescription, it is concluded that tailored made exercise program doesn't help to relive back pain and improve muscle strength.Currently there is limited data supporting the clinical benefit of the McGill approach for the treatment of low back pain based on the available randomized clinical trials. More study is required prior to widespread adoption into clinical practice.

Keywords:  Mcgill Approach, Back Pain, Sports Population, Exercise Rehabilitation

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Copyright

© 2023 Published by Krupanidhi College of Physiotherapy. This is an open-access article under the CC BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

  • 27 January 2024

Year: 2023, Volume: 2, Issue: 4


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