Pain Inhibition and Facilitation in Recurrent Low Back Pain

Aalborg University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy; Recurrent Low Back Pain

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03463759

N-20170034

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates psychophysical measures of pain inhibition and facilitation, along with cortical responses to different sensory stimuli, in patients with recurrent low back pain and matched healthy individuals.

Full description

Pain inhibitory and facilitatory mechanisms have been suggested to play a role in the development of persistent low back pain; however, there is still debate on when changes in these mechanisms occur. Similarly, evoked cortical responses can reflect neuroplastic changes in pain processing regions, which are also thought to play a role in the transition to persistent pain, but there is also debate on when these neuroplastic changes develop relative to low back pain. Therefore, this study will use patients with an intermediary clinical pain state, recurrent low back pain, and matched healthy control participants, to investigate within and between subject differences in pain inhibitory, facilitatory and neuroplastic mechanisms.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion:

• Healthy men and women
• Aged 18-60 years
• No previous back pain OR >1 previous episode of low back pain in past 12 months
• No current back pain OR Pain in the region posteriorly between the inferior border of the 12th rib and the lower gluteal fold (low back pain) at time of recruitment lasting >24 hours
• Able to speak, read and understand English

Exclusion:

• Pregnancy
• First episode of low back pain
• Low back pain associated with menstruation
• Chronic low back pain (continuous pain episode for >3 months)
• Currently seeking active treatment for low back pain
• Red flags symptoms
• Drug addiction defined as the use of cannabis, opioids or other drugs
• Current or previous neurologic, musculoskeletal, mental, or other illnesses which may affect the trial
• Current or previous chronic or recurrent pain condition other than low back pain
• Current regular use of analgesic or other medication which may affect the trial
• Lack of ability to cooperate
• Recent history of acute pain particularly in the lower limbs (unless related to LBP)
• Abnormally disrupted sleep in 24 hours preceding experiment

Trial design

60 participants in 2 patient groups

Recurrent Low Back Pain Patients

Description:

Participants experiencing a current episode of their recurrent non-specific low back pain at the time of recruitment.

Healthy Volunteers

Description:

Participants matched in age and gender to one of the recurrent low back pain patients, with no significant past low back pain, chronic pain or other relevant medical disorders.