The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze the effects of multilevel sensorimotor reorganization-based interventions on pain and disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP), and to compare the effect sizes ...
The purpose of this study was to systematically analyze the effects of multilevel sensorimotor reorganization-based interventions on pain and disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP), and to compare the effect sizes across different neuroregulatory levels. A total of 32 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were selected through a systematic literature search conducted across five databases (SCIENCE ON, EBSCOhost, PubMed, DBpia, and Cochrane Library) covering publications from January 2016 to March 2026, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the included studies were classified into four intervention types based on neuroregulatory level: Proprioceptive exercise, Visual feedback–based exercise, Sensory cueing–based motor control exercise, and Perturbation-based balance training, with the primary outcome measures being pain intensity (VAS, NRS) and disability (ODI, RMDQ), and effect sizes calculated as standardized mean differences (SMD) using a random-effects model. The results showed that multilevel sensorimotor reorganization-based interventions significantly reduced pain (SMD=−0.88, 95%CI[−1.55,−0.21], p=0.012) and improved functional outcomes (SMD=−0.41, 95%CI[−0.80,−0.02], p=0.041) compared to control groups, and in the subgroup analysis by neuroregulatory level, all four intervention types demonstrated significant pain reduction effects with Visual feedback–based exercise showing the largest effect size (SMD=−0.80), while for disability outcomes only Proprioceptive exercise demonstrated a statistically significant improvement (SMD=−0.69), with significant subgroup differences identified for disability outcomes (Q=17.26, p=0.001) whereas no significant differences were found between neuroregulatory levels for pain outcomes, and publication bias was not statistically significant, and sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the overall findings. These findings suggest that multilevel sensorimotor reorganization-based interventions are effective for reducing pain and improving function in patients with CNSLBP, with Visual feedback–based exercise demonstrating relatively greater effects for pain reduction whereas Proprioceptive exercise may be considered when functional improvement is the primary treatment goal, and this study is meaningful in that it reinterpreted interventions for CNSLBP within a neuroregulatory hierarchy framework, with future high-quality RCTs with standardized intervention protocols needed to further clarify the differential effects of each neuroregulatory level.