Gua Sha Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Low Back Pain

• 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.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-01-01
• Primary Completion: 2010-12-01
• Study Completion: 2010-12-01
• Status Verified: 2017-11
• Study First Submitted: 2017-11-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2017-11-02
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-11-02
• Study First Posted: 2017-11-06
• Last Update Posted: 2017-11-06

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 50

Inclusion Criteria

• 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)

Exclusion Criteria

• 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

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
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)
Pain on movement	12 weeks	Pain on Movement Questionnaire (POM)