Sensorimotor Training in Low-back Pain Rehabilitation (SeMoPoP)

Michael A. McCaskey

Status: Completed

Conditions: Low Back Pain

Treatments: Other: Conventional physiotherapy; Other: Treadmill training; Other: Proprioceptive postural training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02304120

2014-0873

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the effects of additional sensorimotor training (proprioceptive postural training, PPT) to conventional therapy in the treatment of chronic low-back pain. Half of the participants will receive instructed treadmill training as an active comparator against PPT. All participants receive conventional physiotherapy as prescribed by their treating medical doctors. It is expected that the PPT group will improve in postural control, proprioceptive, as well as pain and function outcomes to a significantly greater extent than the active control group.

Enrollment: 60 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with musculoskeletal low back pain (non-specific low back pain)
• Age ≥ 18 years

Exclusion criteria

• Known or suspected neurological diseases or lesions
• Traumatic injury of musculoskeletal system (fractures, tumours)
• Spinal pathologies (e.g., tumour, infection, fracture, and inflammatory disease)
• Previous spinal surgery
• Presence of any contraindication to exercise (fracture or cardiovascular limitations)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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60 participants in 2 patient groups

Sensorimotor

Experimental group

Description:

The experimental group will receive added PPT to the conventional physiotherapy. PPT will be applied by means of a neuro-orthopaedic medical device ("Posturomed®", see section 3.2). The "Posturomed" allows adaptive oscillation in the horizontal plane. Therapy instructions advise seven stages of difficulty. In all stages the patient is asked to provoke oscillation by stepping on site. After three steps, the patient must stand still on one leg for 2 seconds before he or she repeats the steps. Difficulty is increased by a) decreasing the damping through release of the breaks and b) through added juggling of a ball during the motor task (dual-task and divided attention). The next stage is reached once stabilisation in the previous stage is secured.

Treatment:

Other: Proprioceptive postural training

Other: Conventional physiotherapy

Low-intensity activity

Active Comparator group

Description:

Added to conventional therapy, as administered to all participants, the control group will do added treadmill walking. The control intervention will consist of 10 minutes of walking at comfortable pace. The patient will be instructed in treadmill functions and asked to set the speed between 2 and 4 km/h. The speed should be adjusted to the level where the patient would still be able to talk comfortably.

Treatment:

Other: Treadmill training

Other: Conventional physiotherapy