• Mark H Halliday, Paulo H Ferreira, Mark J Hancock, and Helen A Clare.
• Physiotherapy Department, Concord Repatriation General Hospital, Hospital Rd., Concord, NSW 2139, Australia. Electronic address: mark.halliday@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.
• Physiotherapy. 2015 Jun 1; 101 (2): 232-8.

ObjectiveTo investigate if McKenzie exercises when applied to a cohort of patients with chronic LBP who have a directional preference demonstrate improved recruitment of the transversus abdominis compared to motor control exercises when measurements were assessed from ultrasound images.DesignA randomized blinded trial with a 12-month follow-up.SettingThe Physiotherapy department of Concord Hospital a primary health care environment.Participants70-adults with greater than three-month history of LBP who have a directional preference.InterventionsMcKenzie techniques or motor control exercises for 12-sessions over eight weeks.Main Outcome MeasuresTransversus abdominus thickness measured from real time ultrasound images, pain, global perceived effect and capacity to self-manage.DiscussionThis study will be the first to investigate the possible mechanism of action that McKenzie therapy and motor control exercises have on the recruitment of the transversus abdominus in a cohort of low back pain patients sub-classified with a directional preference. Patients receiving matched exercises according to their directional preference are believed to have better outcomes than those receiving unmatched exercises. A better understanding of the mechanism of action that specific treatments such as motor control exercises or McKenzie exercises have on patients classified with a directional preference will allow therapist to make a more informed choice about treatment options.Copyright © 2014 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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