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Highlights
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1.
Extracorporeal shockwaves therapy significantly alleviated the score of pain and disability in patients with low back pain within the first month after the intervention compared to the control group.
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2.
The effect of extracorporeal shockwaves therapy to relieve the pain and disability in patients with low back pain was similar to the control group.
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3.
Extracorporeal shockwaves therapy would probably be useful to control the pain and disability in a short period of time.
Abstract:
Objective
To compare two different protocols (ESWT, oral medications, and an exercise program
with the control group ) for the treatment of CLBP, we designed this study.
Design
All the patients were randomly allocated to two intervention and control groups. Simple
complete randomization was used for the allocation of the patients using the table
of random numbers.
Setting
In this study, 32 patients with CLBP were referred to Isfahan University Hospitals
randomly divided into intervention and control groups.
Participant
Patients were enrolled in the study if they were older than 18 years and had CLBP
for more than three months. The patients were not having received any treatment and
never having undergone surgery for treatment of CLBP. Also, patients with cancer,
fractures, infections, disk degeneration, were excluded.
Intervention
Patients in the intervention group received ESWT once a week for four weeks along
with oral medications and exercise programs. The control group received sham ESWT
along with oral medications and exercise programs.
Main Outcome Measure(s)
The visual analog scale and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were used to assess pain
and disability at baseline, after one, and after three months.
Results
The pain score in the intervention group was 6.6 at baseline that decreased to 3.0
after one month (P<0.0001) and 1.8 after three months (P<0.0001). In the control group,
the pain score was 6.8 at baseline, 4.6 after one month (P<0.0001), and 1.1 after
three months (P<0.0001). Disability decreased significantly in both groups compared
with baseline values (first month: P<0.0001, third month: P<0.05). The mean ODI score
did not differ significantly between both groups (P=0.942).
Conclusion
ESWT, along with oral medication and exercise therapy, appears to be a safe and effective
method in the short-term treatment of patients suffering from CLBP.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Accepted:
December 11,
2020
Received in revised form:
December 10,
2020
Received:
May 29,
2020
Publication stage
In Press Journal Pre-ProofFootnotes
Acknowledgment
This study was adapted from the residency thesis conducted by Mitra Ramezani. The study has been conducted in Al-Zahra Hospital, which is affiliated with Isfahan University of Medical Science, Isfahan, Iran. This study was financially supported by the research vice-chancellor [grant No 395978].
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
