Low Back Pain
Conditions
Brief summary
The prevalence and disability associated with discogenic low back pain are significant, and there is a general lack of widely accepted conservative treatments for the condition. A majority of previous studies that have assessed the efficacy of self-directed exercise-based rehabilitation programs did not include comprehensive metrics to confirm whether participants actually participated in the exercises prescribed. In this pilot study, the investigators hope to determine whether proxies of compliance with a daily, self-directed rehabilitation program for discogenic low back pain are correlated with participant-reported improvements in pain and function. The feasibility of a mobile interface designed to help patients with chronic low back pain track the daily management of their conditions will also be evaluated.
Interventions
OTHERBack Rx program
The Back Rx program can be viewed via a smartphone app.
Sponsors
Cornell Tech
UnitedHealth Group
Hospital for Special Surgery, New York
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Low back pain with predominantly axial symptoms (axial pain \> leg pain) that are exacerbated with sitting and alleviated with walking * Persistence of symptoms for at least 3 months * Lumbar intervertebral disc pathology evident on magnetic resonance imaging * 18 to 65 years old * Computer literate; have smartphone (iPhone 5S or up, Android 2.3 or up) * English speaking
Exclusion criteria
* Concurrent pathology that may contribute to patients' axial low back symptoms (e.g., spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, facet arthropathy) * Severe lumbar disc degeneration prior to beginning Back Rx exercise program * History of lumbar spine surgery or other interventions prior to beginning Back Rx exercise program * History of trauma * Cases involving workers' compensation or other legal claims * Non-English speaking
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Oswestry Disability Index | Up to 12 months post-program start | The Oswestry Disability Index is scored on a scale of 0-100, with a higher number representing more severe disability. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Compliance with app/program | Up to 12 months post-program start | Measured via usage analytics by a composite index based on % of videos viewed and % of videos completed |
| Satisfaction with program | Up to 12 months post-program start | Participants will be asked whether they would recommend the app to a friend. |
| Medication utilization | Up to 3 months post-program start | Usage of medications will be documented |
| Pain score | Up to 12 months post-program start | Pain will be assessed via the visual analog scale |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed