Low Back Study to Compare Traditional Physical Therapy With Combined Therapy Protocol

Michael Wilson & Associates Health Care Consulting, LLC

Status

Terminated

Conditions

Radiculopathy

Low Back Pain

Treatments

Other: conservative therapy - traction, vibration, exercise

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Industry

Identifiers

NCT01236092

mwilson consulting, llc

Details and patient eligibility

About

The most common chronic low back pain conditions are a consequence of disc disease as well as muscular and bony etiologies. The discs degenerate and weaken, bulge and are pushed into the space containing the spinal cord or a nerve root resulting in severe pain. A common treatment is then surgery. Whole-body vibration combined with un-weighting traction and specific manual mobilization plus active therapeutic exercise seems to treat chronic low back pain by non-invasively firing muscles of the lumbar spine. The investigators are seeking to show such therapy reduces the need for surgery and significantly out performs traditional physical as the preferred conservative treatment.

Full description

Patients will be placed randomly in the control group and will receive 10 weeks of standard physical therapy or in the study group and receive an equivalent 10 weeks therapy utilizing vibration, unweighting, therapeutic exercise and manual mobilization. The study uses a baseline MRI and x-rays which have shown the justification for surgical intervention and during the course of the protocol will have repeat MRI's and x-rays to determine any statistical change in the lumbar spine resulting in reduction or elimination of pain, improved range of motion, improvements in performance and reduction or elimination for the need for surgical intervention. Anatomical measures will be done comparing pre-treatment versus post-treatment and will include foraminal dimensions,disc height, canal stenosis, lumbosacral angle and facet spacing. Questionnaires will be completed during the course of the treatment and post-treatment at 6 months and one year. The final follow up phone call to the patient will be made following 24 months post initial treatment to determine the current patient status pertaining to low back pain, subsequent treatment, surgery, etc. Final study documentation will occur at that time. Intermediate results at one year will compare the control group vs. the study group for overall result differences.

Enrollment

36 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

25 to 65 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

MRI of the lumbar spine showing symptoms and severity to qualify for surgery
25 to 65 years of age
Diagnosis of low back pain for 3-12 months
Potential surgical candidates but not mandatory

Exclusion criteria

any medical or physical conditions deemed unacceptable by the participants physician or health care provider
Evidence of progressive or debilitative medical conditions i.e. metastatic cancer, major stroke, crippling arthritis, unstable angina, orthostatic hypotension, hemiplegia, multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease.
Any condition that would preclude the additional burden of a repeat MRI or preclude active involvement in the protocol or physical therapy
Active use of tobacco products
Prior back surgery
Pregnancy