Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Chronic Low Back Pain

Patients with low back pain cannot activate enough the deep lumbar stabilization muscles necessary for spinal stability, such as transversus abdominis, lumbar multifidus. Core stabilization exercises are valuable in motor relearning of coactivation of deep lumbar and abdominal muscles and in stabilization of the spine. Hence, they are important in the management of chronic low back pain. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been used in the training and strengthening of skeletal muscles for many years. It is shown that NMES can contract deep lumbar stabilization muscles and changes in muscle activation are significantly associated with pain reduction in patients with low back pain.