Predictive Validity of Lumbopelvic Stress Tests to Determine Those Who Will Benefit From Lumbar Traction: A Pilot Study

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT03127410

Enrollment

Registered

2017-04-25

Start date

2017-03-30

Completion date

2018-12-31

Last updated

2019-09-19

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Brief summary

The objective in this study is to determine the predictive validity of a set of special clinical tests in identifying those who will respond to lumbar traction

Detailed description

The objective in this study is to determine the predictive validity of a set of special clinical tests in identifying those who will respond to lumbar traction. The central hypothesis of this pilot study is that a cluster of lumbopelvic stress tests will be able to identify a subgroup of patients with low back pain who will respond favorably to mechanical lumbar traction. If these clinical tests can identify a subgroup of patients with low back pain who respond favorably to lumbar traction, additional studies, including randomized clinical trials will be necessary to further test and validate the use of this cluster of clinical tests. The rationale for this research is to examine the connection between provocative lumbar compression testing and lumbar traction as a means of decompression

Interventions

OTHERLumbar traction

Lumbar traction is used to decompress the spinal structures and relieve pressure and may stretch the spine.

Study design

Allocation

Intervention model

SINGLE_GROUP

Primary purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Masking description

Investigator is blinded to intervention

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 65 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Complaints of low back pain with or without pain into the lower extremities * Pain of at least 2/10 according to the Numeric Pain Rating Scale * Score of at least 20 or greater on the Oswestry Disability Index

Exclusion criteria

* Medical red flags consistent with non-mechanical back pain (i.e. recent weight loss, history of cancer, night sweats, fever) * Previous surgery to the lumbar spine * Current pregnancy * Any neurological symptoms in the lower extremities * Evidence of central nervous system involvement * The inability to lie prone for 15 minutes

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change in Disability	14 days	Modified Oswestry Disability Index

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Change in Pain	14 days	Numeric Pain Rating Scale
Change in perceived outcome	14 days	Global Rating of Change

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026