None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The study will investigate the effect of three types of physical therapy—shockwave, ultrasound, and heat therapy—on lower back pain without specific causes. It will involve 45 individuals,, with either new or long-term back pain. Their pain and how easily they can move will be measured before and after they receive their treatments. The aim is to examine which therapy is best at improving pain and mobility. The hypothesis is that one or more of these therapies will be effective in managing lower back pain.
Interventions
A registered physiotherapist will conduct all interventions, which each will be completed once.
In the Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) protocol, patients will assume a comfortable prone posture as a specialised gel is applied to the targeted area. Administered using the Swiss DolorClast device with an EvoBlue handpiece, the treatment involves 2000 shockwaves at a frequency of 15 radial shockwaves per second, with the parameters of air pressure and energy flux density administered up to
A registered physiotherapist will conduct all interventions, which each will be completed once. In the Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) protocol, patients will assume a comfortable prone posture as a specialised gel is applied to the targeted area. Administered using the Swiss DolorClast device with an EvoBlue handpiece, the treatment involves 2000 shockwaves at a frequency of 15 radial shockwaves per second, with the parameters of air pressure and energy flux density administered up to 0.3 mJ/mm^2. Two distinct applicators, with varying nanometer specifications, deliver shockwaves to the paravertebral muscles and sacroiliac joints. Air pressure and energy flux density gradually increase over the initial 200 shockwaves, continuing until the patient reaches the maximum tolerable discomfort. An additional 800 shockwaves are then administered at the established settings. This protocol remains consistent for both subacute and chronic phases of non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). In the Ultrasound Therapy (UST) protocol, patients in a prone position will undergo treatment with ultrasonic waves initiated at 1 MHz. Ultrasonic gel facilitates the transmission of waves, with intensity ranging from 1 W/cm² to 2.5 W/cm² and an effective radiating area (ERA) measuring 4-5 cm2. Parameters will be adjusted based on patient tolerance, employing continuous mode for the chronic phase and pulsatile mode for the subacute phase. The ultrasonic applicator will be manoeuvred over the treatment area using various motions for 10–15 minutes, during which patients will provide feedback on comfort and perceived effectiveness. Meanwhile, the Shortwave Diathermy (SWD) protocol will begin with patients assuming a prone position. The therapy is administered in capacitive mode at a frequency of 27.12 MHz and a wavelength of 11.06 m. A continuous mode will be applied for the chronic phase, while the subacute phase involves a pulsed mode. The treatment duration will be set at 15 minutes.
Sponsors
Universitas Negeri Yogyakarta
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria will be a confirmed NSLBP diagnosis, a minimum age of 18, and a minimum symptom duration of four weeks
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria will encompass specific underlying causes of back pain (i.e., malignancy, neurological deficit, fracture, infection), pregnancy, and history of allergies to proposed interventions.
Outcome results
None listed