Clinical Research Directory

Inclusion Criteria: * Adults aged 18-45 years. * Body mass index (BMI) between 18 and 30 kg/m². * Mechanical low back pain that decreases in the supine position and increases with activity or in various postures. * Low back pain of more than one week duration with a baseline intensity greater than 4 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and unrelated to any defined medical condition. * Playing tennis on a recreational basis at least 2 days per week, totalling at least 2 hours per week. * Able to communicate in Turkish or English in both written and spoken form. Exclusion Criteria: * Pain in the lower back, hip, or groin lasting longer than 6 months. * Pain accompanied by a sensory deficit. * Pain radiating to the hip or lower extremity. * History of long-term steroid use. * Regular medication use. * History of injury or surgery resulting in residual deficits. * Previous interventional treatment to the lumbar region. * Pregnancy or suspected pregnancy. Termination Criteria During Study: * Onset of an acute illness requiring treatment (e.g., influenza, pneumonia). * Use of analgesic or sedative medication. * An increase in VAS pain score greater than 3 points during exercise or treatment. * Failure to perform the home exercise programme on three consecutive days. * Missed manual therapy session.