An interventional study of Lumbar Stabilization Exercises and heating pad and Scapular Stabilization Exercises (YTWL) + Lumbar Stabilization Exercises + Heating Pad in Chronic Non Specific Mechanical Low Back Pain, sponsored by Dow University of Health Sciences. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 50 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-06.
Sponsored by Dow University of Health Sciences · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
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Among 223 studies in Low Back Pain with a site in Pakistan — 67 open to participants now, 79 under way, none of them phase 3. Low Back Pain · Pakistan.
Among the 223 studies in Low Back Pain with a site in Pakistan, this one is the 29th largest by planned enrollment of the 216 interventional ones that give a count, is one of 31 that started in 2026, is one of 216 with no phase, reaches primary completion later than 76 of the 78 other live ones, and was the 215th registered.
2,923 studies on the registry are indexed under Low Back Pain; 579 are open to participants now.
Browse Low Back Pain studies →67 of the 223 studies in Low Back Pain with a site in Pakistan are open now. Recruiting first, the newest first:
University of Karachi · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 18–45
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 18–30
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 25–55
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 35–50
Riphah International University · Sites in Pakistan
Ages 20–40
A study can be open while its sites in Pakistan have not opened yet or have stopped. Only those recruiting at a site in Pakistan →
Of the 332 Low Back Pain studies recruiting now, 92 (28%) set no upper age limit and 210 (63%) stop at 75 or younger; 8 take children under 18; 46 take healthy volunteers.
This study: 18 Years to 50 Years · all sexes · no healthy volunteers.
The full table on the hub →This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
223 studies; the count open now beside each. This study's row is marked.
First in 2018; this study’s year is marked. 31 started in 2026.
By drug class, each counting the studies that test any of its medicines:
This study's planned enrollment of 70 is above the median of 60 across 2,364 interventional studies indexed under Low Back Pain.
Median enrollment 42 across the 216 interventional studies, 180 across the 7 observational. Of the 123 that completed or were terminated, 0 (0%) have results posted.
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
None of the 223 has an industry lead sponsor. The 10 most frequent:
Dow University of Health Sciences is the lead sponsor of 179 studies on the registry; 34 are open to participants now.
Dow University of Health Sciences has 7 studies filed under Low Back Pain — fewer than ten, so there is no comparison to draw.
12 of the studies in Low Back Pain with a site in Pakistan that are under way reach primary completion within a year, 0 of them phase 3. Phase 3 first, then by date:
| Study | Primary completion |
|---|---|
| NCT07645859Dow University of Health SciencesComparison of High-Intensity Interval Training With Moderate-Intensity Continuous Training in Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain Patients | 2026-12 |
| NCT06910982University of KarachiYoga and Mindfulness for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial | 2026-12-30 |
| NCT07912060University of Management and Technology LahoreIntegrated Feldenkrais Method With and Without DNS for Chronic Low Back Pain in Females | 2026-12-31 |
| NCT07912073University of Management and Technology LahoreComparative Effects of Kinetic Control Training and Neural Mobilization in Lumbar Radiculopathy | 2026-12-31 |
| NCT07912047University of Management and Technology LahoreEffects of Spinal Mobilization With and Without Clinical Pilates in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniationc Herniation | 2026-12-31 |
Add all 12 to your calendar (.ics) → With an account.
Among the 223 studies in Low Back Pain with a site in Pakistan, from their registry updates:
This tab as a report to print or save as PDF → With an account.
Chronic low back pain is a common problem that can make daily activities difficult. Exercises that strengthen and stabilize the lower back are commonly used to reduce pain and improve movement.
This study will examine whether adding shoulder-blade (scapular) strengthening exercises called YTWL exercises to regular lower-back exercises can provide better results than lower-back exercises alone.
A total of 70 people with chronic non-specific low back pain will participate. They will be divided into two groups:
Group 1: Lower-back stabilization exercises + heating pad Group 2: Lower-back stabilization exercises + YTWL shoulder-blade exercises + heating pad
Pain and difficulty in performing daily activities will be measured before treatment and after 4 weeks.
The purpose of this study is to find out whether improving the strength and stability of the shoulder-blade muscles along with the lower-back muscles can reduce pain and disability more effectively.
In simple words: Investigator wants to know whether exercising both the upper back/shoulder-blade muscles and lower-back muscles works better for chronic low back pain than exercising the lower back alone.
Background:
Chronic low back pain is a common health problem that can affect a person's ability to work, exercise, sleep, and perform everyday activities. In many people, the exact cause of the pain cannot be identified. This is known as non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). Chronic low back pain is generally considered pain in the lower back that continues for more than three months without a specific disease or injury being identified as the cause.
People with chronic low back pain may experience pain, stiffness, difficulty moving, reduced muscle strength, endurance, and difficulty performing activities such as walking, sitting, standing, bending, or lifting. Factors such as prolonged sitting, poor posture, reduced muscle endurance, and poor control of body movements may contribute to the problem.
Purpose of the Study:
Exercise is an important part of physiotherapy treatment for chronic low back pain. Lumbar stabilization exercises (LSE) are commonly used to improve the strength and control of the muscles that support the spine. These exercises can help reduce pain and improve a person's ability to perform daily activities.
However, the muscles of the lower back do not work alone. The muscles around the abdomen, pelvis, upper back, and shoulder blades work together to control body movement. This connection is known as the kinetic chain. Weakness or poor endurance of the muscles around the shoulder blades may affect the way the trunk and pelvis move and may influence lower-back function.
This study will therefore investigate whether adding scapular stabilization exercises (SSE), specifically YTWL exercises, to conventional lumbar stabilization exercises can provide additional benefits for people with chronic non-specific low back pain.
What are YTWL exercises? YTWL exercises are simple exercises designed to strengthen and improve the control and endurance of muscles around the shoulder blades and upper back. The exercises involve moving the arms into positions that resemble the letters Y, T, W, and L. These movements target muscles such as the trapezius, rhomboids, and serratus anterior, which help keep the shoulder blades stable.
What will happen in the study? A total of 70 people with chronic non-specific low back pain will be included in the study. Participants will be recruited from the Physical Therapy Outpatient Department at Dow University Hospital, Ojha Campus.
Participants will be divided into two groups:
Group 1 (Control Group): Participants will receive conventional lumbar stabilization exercises along with a heating pad.
Group 2 (Experimental Group): Participants will receive conventional lumbar stabilization exercises, YTWL scapular stabilization exercises, and a heating pad.
Both groups will receive treatment for 4 weeks.
Before starting the treatment and after completing the 4-week treatment period, participants' outcomes will be assessed. The main areas being assessed are pain and disability.
Assessment of Pain:
Pain intensity will be measured using the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Participants will rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 means no pain and 10 represents the worst possible pain.
Assessment of Disability:
The effect of back pain on daily activities will be assessed using the Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI). This questionnaire evaluates how back pain affects activities such as walking, sitting, standing, lifting, personal care, and other daily activities.
The assessments will be performed before the treatment begins and after 4 weeks of treatment. The results from the two groups will then be compared using statistical analysis through SPSS software.
Why is this study important? The study may help determine whether adding exercises for the shoulder-blade muscles to conventional lower-back exercises provides additional benefits for people with chronic low back pain.
If the combined exercise program produces better results, it may provide physiotherapists with an additional exercise approach for managing patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. It may also help patients improve their physical function and reduce the effect of back pain on their daily lives.
For patients and families:
The study does not involve surgery or invasive procedures. It focuses on therapeutic exercises and a heating pad. Participants will be monitored during the treatment period, and their pain and ability to perform daily activities will be assessed before and after the intervention.
Overall aim:
The overall aim of this study is to determine whether adding YTWL scapular stabilization exercises to conventional lumbar stabilization exercises is more effective in reducing pain and disability than lumbar stabilization exercises alone in people with chronic non-specific low back pain.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Pregnancy
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Lumbar Stabilization Exercises (LSE) + Heating Pad
Other: Lumbar Stabilization Exercises and heating pad
Lumbar Stabilization Exercises (LSE) + YTWL Scapular Stabilization Exercises + Heating Pad
Other: Scapular Stabilization Exercises (YTWL) + Lumbar Stabilization Exercises + Heating Pad
Participants in the control group will receive conventional lumbar stabilization exercises (LSE) along with a heating pad for 4 weeks, with the aim of reducing low back pain and related disability.
Participants in the experimental group will receive lumbar stabilization exercises (LSE) combined with YTWL scapular stabilization exercises and a heating pad for 4 weeks, with the aim of reducing low back pain and related disability.
Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI)
The Modified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI) is a questionnaire used to measure the level of disability caused by low back pain and how it affects a person's daily activities. It assesses areas such as pain, personal care, lifting, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, social life, and traveling. Participants complete the questionnaire before the intervention and after 4 weeks, and the score is used to determine changes in disability following treatment.
Time frame: Before and after 4 weeks of intervention.
Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS)
The Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) is a simple 0-10 scale used to measure the intensity of a patient's pain. 0 represents "no pain," while 10 represents "the worst possible pain."
Time frame: Participants will rate the intensity of their low back pain at the time of assessment (current pain), before the intervention and after 4 weeks of treatment.
Plan to share: No — No individual participant data will be shared. Only aggregate, de-identified study results may be reported or published.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for Mar 2027, 4 months later.
Of 1,231 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Low Back Pain, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 26. This study's planned 4 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 1,286 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 5 and three quarters within 27.
Since we started tracking on Sep 25, 2026, the dates moved once, on Nov 6, 2026: start Sep 2026 → Nov 2026 and primary completion Feb 2027 → Mar 2027.
Earlier changes are on the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
This study is not yet recruiting, as verified in Nov 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Dow University of Health Sciences →