Research hotspots and trends in exercise interventions for chronic nonspecific low back pain

Background: This study aims to conduct a bibliometric analysis to clarify the current research status, hotspots, and development trends of exercise interventions for chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP), thereby providing valuable references for future related studies. Methods: Publications pertaining to exercise interventions for CNLBP were retrieved and screened from the Web of Science Core Collection database (2010–2024). Visualization maps of countries, institutions, core authors, journals, keywords, and references were generated using software including VOSviewer, CiteSpace, Pajek, and Scimago Graphica. A comprehensive analysis was performed to investigate the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and future trends in this domain. Results: A total of 545 relevant publications were ultimately included. Annual publication output demonstrated a marked upward trajectory. The most productive country, institution, and author were Brazil (80 publications), Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (28 publications), and Pena Costa, Leonardo Oliveira (26 publications), respectively. The journal with the highest number of publications was Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation (32 publications), while Spine had the highest number of co-citations (2449 times). Through an integrated analysis of keyword bursts and co-citation reference clustering, “muscle strength,” “biopsychosocial intervention,” and “guidelines” were identified as both current research hotspots and critical directions for future studies. Conclusion: The research field of exercise interventions for CNLBP is undergoing a paradigm shift from a unidimensional biomedical model to a multidimensional biopsychosocial integrated model, demonstrating significant academic value and clinical translational potential. Future research priorities are expected to focus on enhancing the quantitative assessment of objective physiological indicators in efficacy evaluation, promoting the deep integration of exercise intervention protocols with the biopsychosocial model, and facilitating the organic integration of guideline recommendations into clinical practice.