Motor skill acquisition strategies for rehabilitation of low back pain.

Evidence supporting the early use of exercise for the treatment of low back pain continues to grow. We must keep in mind, however, that motor skill learning and exercise are not synonymous. If rehabilitation goals are limited to the improvement of physical parameters (ie., strength, flexibility, endurance), the opportunity to help patients improve the performance of functional activities will be missed. The motor learning literature suggests several strategies for facilitating the acquisition of a motor skill: transfer-appropriate processing, the contextual interference effect, and repetitive self-evaluation. These techniques will cognitively challenge patients, helping them gain skills more quickly and retain them longer. By incorporating these methods into the rehabilitation program, patients will better transfer what they have learned from the rehabilitation environment to their everyday functional activities.