Therapeutic evaluation of lumbar tender point deep massage for chronic non-specific low back pain.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to compare the therapeutic effects of lumbar tender point deep tissue massage combined with lumbar traction versus lumbar traction alone on chronic non-specific low back pain, using pressure pain threshold, muscle hardness, and pain intensity as measures.
Results Summary
The treatment group (massage + traction) showed significantly greater improvements in pressure pain threshold, reduced muscle hardness, and lower pain intensity compared to the control group (traction alone), with statistically significant differences (P < 0.05).
Population
64 patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (60 completed the study).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
lumbar tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction | increase | pressure pain threshold | patients with chronic non-specific low back pain | 1.5 +/- 0.8 (treatment group) vs 1.1 +/- 0.7 (control group) | produced better improvement | #1 |
lumbar tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction | decrease | muscle hardness | patients with chronic non-specific low back pain | 4.2 +/- 1.6 (treatment group) vs 3.5 +/- 1.3 (control group) | produced better improvement | #2 |
lumbar tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction | decrease | pain intensity | patients with chronic non-specific low back pain | 1.9 +/- 0.9 (treatment group) vs 1.4 +/- 0.8 (control group) | produced better improvement | #3 |
OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of lumbar tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction on chronic non-specific low back pain using change in pressure pain threshold, muscle hardness and pain intensity as indices. METHODS: We randomly divided 64 patients into a treatment group (32 cases) and a control group (32 cases). Two drop-outs occurred in each group. Patients in the treatment group received tender point deep tissue massage plus lumbar traction and patients in the control group received lumbar traction, alone. We used a tissue hardness meter/algometer and visual analog scale (VAS) to assess the pressure pain threshold, muscle hardness and pain intensity. RESULTS: Following treatment, we obtained the following results in the treatment and control groups, respectively: the pressure pain threshold difference was 1.5 +/- 0.8 and 1.1 +/- 0.7; the muscle hardness difference was 4.2 +/- 1.6 and 3.5 +/- 1.3; and the VAS score difference was 1.9 +/- 0.9 and 1.4 +/- 0.8. Compared to the control group, the treatment group had higher pressure pain threshold (t = 2.09, P < 0.05), and lower muscle hardness (t = 2.05, P < 0.05) and pain intensity (t = 2.46, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lumbar tender point deep tissue massage combined with lumbar traction produced better improvement in pressure pain threshold, muscle hardness and pain intensity in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain than with lumbar traction alone.