Investigation of the effects of inspiratory muscle training in addition to core stabilization exercises on pain intensity, disability, core muscle activation, functional capacity, sleep quality and quality of life in patients with mechanical low back pain

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of inspiratory muscle training on pain intensity, disability, core muscle activation, functional capacity, sleep quality and quality of life in people with mechanical low back pain. 30 volunteers, divided into Experimental Group (EG) (n=15) and Control Group (CG) (n=15), were included in this randomized controlled study. All participants performed core stabilization exercises three days a week for eight weeks. In addition to core stabilization exercises in EG, patients performed respiratory training twice a day five days a week. All volunteers were evaluated for respiratory muscle strength using a respiratory pressure meter. In addition, core muscle activation was evaluated using a pressure biofeedback device, and functional capacity was evaluated before and after the interventions using the 2 Minute Walk Test (2MWT). As a result of the study, statistical differences were found in all parameters in both groups (p=0.001). When the results of the two groups were compared, a statistical difference was found in favor of EG in MIP, MIP%, core muscle activation, functional capacity and sleep quality values (p=0.001). We can say that inspiratory muscle training is more effective in improving functional capacity, core muscle activation, and respiratory muscle strength in people with mechanical low back pain. Since it is easy to apply and accessible, it can be used to increase the effectiveness of low back pain treatments.