Gua Sha Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain
- Conditions
- Low Back Pain
- Interventions
- Other: Gua Sha
- Registration Number
- NCT03333213
- Lead Sponsor
- Universität Duisburg-Essen
- Brief Summary
Chronic low back pain is a major public health burden with only limited evidence of effectiveness for complementary and traditional therapies. Gua Sha is a traditional East Asian therapy traditionally used in the treatment of spinal pain. This study aimed to test the efficacy of Gua Sha therapy in patients with chronic low back pain A total of 50 patients with chronic low back pain were randomized to either two Gua Sha treatments (n=25) or a waitlist control group (n=25). Primary outcome measure was current pain intensity on a 100-mm visual analog scale; secondary outcome measures included back-related function (Oswestry Disability Index), movement-related pain (modified Pain on Movement Questionnaire), as well as pressure pain threshold, mechanical detection threshold, and vibration detection threshold.
- Detailed Description
Chronic low back pain is a major public health burden with only limited evidence of effectiveness for complementary and traditional therapies. Gua Sha is a traditional East Asian therapy traditionally used in the treatment of spinal pain. This study aimed to test the efficacy of Gua Sha therapy in patients with chronic low back pain A total of 50 patients with chronic low back pain were randomized to either two Gua Sha treatments (n=25) or a waitlist control group (n=25). Primary outcome measure was current pain intensity on a 100-mm visual analog scale; secondary outcome measures included back-related function (Oswestry Disability Index), movement-related pain (modified Pain on Movement Questionnaire), as well as pressure pain threshold, mechanical detection threshold, and vibration detection threshold.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 50
- non-specific low back pain at least once weekly for at least the previous 3 months
- average back pain intensity hat least 40mm on a 100mm visual analog scale (VAS)
- specific low back pain due to trauma, disc protrusion, whiplash, congenital deformity of the spine, spinal stenosis, neoplasm, inflammatory rheumatic disease, or oncologic disease
- dystonia
- pregnancy
- invasive treatment of the spine or spinal surgery within the previous 4 weeks
- oral steroids or anticoagulants
- hemophilia or a skin condition in the area to be treated
- started a new treatment for low back pain within the previous month or planning to start a new treatment within the next month
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Gua Sha therapy Gua Sha Patients' backs were first covered with Tumarol N Balsam. The study physician then applied a round-edged instrument (the inside smooth edged lip of a metal cap) to patients' skin in downward strokes. Patients were treated twice with a 7-day interval.
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain intensity 12 weeks 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0mm meaning 'no pain at all' to 100mm meaning 'the worst pain imaginable'
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Pain on movement 12 weeks Pain on Movement Questionnaire (POM)
Functional disability 12 weeks Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Mechanical detection threshold (MDT) 12 weeks MDT was measured with a set of von Frey filaments (Somedic Sales AB, Horby, Sweden).
Pressure-pain threshold (PPT) 12 weeks PPT was measured using a digital algometer (Somedic AB, Horby, Sweden).
Adverse events 12 weeks Vibration detection threshold (VDT) 12 weeks VDT was determined using a Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork (64 Hz, 8/8 scale)