Effects Of Multimodal Physical Therapy Intervention On Musculoskeletal Function And Low Back Pain In Postpartum Women

Postpartum low back pain is a common musculoskeletal condition that significantly affectswomen's physical function, mobility, childcare activities, emotional well‐being, andquality of life after childbirth. During pregnancy and the postpartum period, womenexperience several hormonal, biomechanical, and musculoskeletal changes, includingligamentous laxity, altered posture, weakened abdominal and pelvic floor muscles, reducedcore stability, and changes in spinal alignment, all of which may contribute topersistent lumbopelvic pain and functional limitations. Repetitive infant care activitiessuch as lifting, carrying, breastfeeding, bending, prolonged sitting, and sleep‐relatedpostural stress may further aggravate symptoms and delay recovery. Despite the highprevalence of postpartum low back pain, rehabilitation services for postpartum womenremain limited in Pakistan due to inadequate awareness, sociocultural barriers, lack ofstructured physiotherapy programs, and limited integration of rehabilitation withinmaternal healthcare systems. Consequently, many women continue to experience untreatedpain, fatigue, disability, reduced physical performance, and impaired quality of lifeduring the postpartum period. Current evidence supports the effectiveness of multimodalphysiotherapy interventions for postpartum musculoskeletal dysfunction, particularlyapproaches combining core stabilization exercises, pelvic floor muscle training, manualtherapy, ergonomic education, posture correction, activity modification, and patientcounseling. However, most available evidence originates from high‐income countries, andthere is limited research evaluating the effectiveness of structured multimodalrehabilitation programs in Pakistani postpartum women. Therefore, this study aims toevaluate the effects of a multimodal physical therapy intervention on low back pain andmusculoskeletal function in postpartum women. Secondary outcomes include assessment ofcore muscle endurance, functional disability, fatigue, and health‐related quality oflife. The study will be conducted using a single‐blinded, two‐arm parallel randomizedcontrolled trial design in tertiary healthcare settings. Eligible postpartum womenexperiencing low back pain within six months after delivery will be recruited andrandomly allocated into either an intervention group or a control group. The interventiongroup will receive a structured six‐week multimodal physiotherapy program consisting ofsupervised core stabilization exercises, pelvic floor muscle activation andstrengthening, manual therapy techniques, ergonomic training, posture correction, painmanagement education, safe lifting techniques, breastfeeding posture guidance, sleeppositioning advice, and home exercise instruction. The control group will receive routinepostpartum care without supervised physiotherapy intervention. Outcome measures willinclude pain intensity, functional disability, core muscle endurance, fatigue, andquality of life assessed using standardized clinical tools at baseline,post‐intervention, and follow‐up. Ethical approval and informed consent procedures willbe ensured prior to commencement of the study, and participant confidentiality will bemaintained throughout the research process. The findings of this study may contribute tothe development of evidence‐based postpartum rehabilitation protocols, improve awarenessregarding women's health physiotherapy, support integration of physiotherapy servicesinto routine maternal healthcare practices, and enhance postpartum recovery, functionalindependence, and quality of life among women in Pakistan.