More than 50% of women experience pain in the lumbopelvic area during pregnancy. The prevalence of pain increases with the duration of pregnancy. Trunk muscles are needed to sustain low levels of activity for an extended duration. Preventing muscles from fatiguing is very important. Manual therapy techniques can minimize loading of the spine while improving muscular endurance and preventing fatigue. Moreover, inhibition of the trigger points of the spinal musculature is an important factor to consider.

Tui-Na massage and positional release therapy are both of the common manual therapies used recently for low back pain. However, no studies have compared their effects on pregnancy related low back pain in third trimester.

Inclusion Criteria:

• low back pain
• mild to moderate disability concurring to the Oswestry Disability Index (up to 40%),
• age ranged from 20 - 40 years

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current physical therapy or medical treatment for low back pain,
• contracture or surgery affecting the lumbar spine,
• scoliosis,
• pathologies such as inflammatory diseases,
• skin diseases,
• congenital diseases,
• neurological diseases,
• dislocations, neoplasms,
• disc prolapse,
• visual or auditory problems

pregnant females

will be available upon reasonable request

upon completion

URL will be created after the ending of data acquisition.