Monopolar Dielectric Diathermy by Radiofrequency and Therapeutic Exercise in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain.

NCT05149690 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: UALBIO2021/006
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A total of 60 people diagnosed with non-specific chronic low back pain of more than 3 months of evolution and who are not currently undergoing any type of treatment will be recruited, with ages between 30 and 65 years. A random distribution will be made into two treatment groups (diathermy combined with supervised therapeutic exercise versus supervised therapeutic exercise). Participants will receive treatment once a week for a period of four weeks, in the physiotherapy laboratories of the University of Almería, with a follow-up evaluation at three weeks and two months after the start of treatment. At their first visit, participants will be screened for study eligibility according to the study inclusion and exclusion criteria, and will be evaluated by a therapist blinded to the intervention. After this face-to-face evaluation, patients will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups and will receive treatment for low back pain according to their random assignment group by two therapists belonging to the research group and trained in the techniques used.

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Keywords

non-specific chronic low back pain; Supervised therapeutic exercise; monopolar dielectric diathermy; randomised single-blind clinical trial

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change from baseline in Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ).

  This is a self-reported questionnaire consisting in 24 items reflecting limitations in different activities of daily living attributed to low back pain including walking, vending over, sitting, lying down, dressing, sleeping, self-care and daily activities.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Change from baseline in disability. Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Idex.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

• Change from baseline in pain intensity. Visual analogue scale.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

• Change from baseline in Fear of Movement. Tampa Scale of kinesiophobia.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

• Change from baseline on Quality of Life. SF-36 Health questionnaire.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

• Change from Mcquade Test.

  At baseline, at 4 weeks and at 2 months

Study Arms (2)

monopolar dielectric diathermy and supervised therapeutic exercise

EXPERIMENTAL

The Experimental Group formed by 30 subjects will undergo an application of monopolar electrical diathermy by radiofrequency emission (MDR) using the Physicalm® device developed by the electro-medicine company Biotronic Advance Develops SL, on the lumbar musculature by means of rotary movements and translation, adapting to the muscle fibers of the lumbar area. A pulsed emission of 840 KHz and 30v will be made dynamically during a treatment time of 20 minutes. Once the application of (MDR) is finished, an exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist will be carried out. The exercise program will consist mainly of three types: stability and lumbo-pelvic motor control, strengthening and stretching of the lumbar muscles (Annex XIV), with a duration of 20 minutes. 2 weekly sessions will be held for 4 weeks, distributed as follows: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, a total of 8 treatment sessions.

Other: Experimental: monopolar dielectric diathermy and supervised therapeutic exercise

Supervised therapeutic exercise

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

The Control Group formed by 30 subjects will be administered a training program consisting of three types of exercises, taking into account: stability and lumbopelvic motor control, strengthening and stretching of the lumbar muscles, exactly the same as the Experimental Group. With a duration of 20 minutes. 2 weekly sessions will be held for 4 weeks, distributed as follows: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday with a total of 8 treatment sessions.

Other: Active Comparator: Supervised therapeutic exercise

Interventions

Experimental: monopolar dielectric diathermy and supervised therapeutic exercise OTHER

The Experimental Group formed by 30 subjects will undergo an application of monopolar electrical diathermy by radiofrequency emission (MDR) using the Physicalm® device developed by the electro-medicine company Biotronic Advance Develops SL, on the lumbar musculature by means of rotary movements and translation, adapting to the muscle fibers of the lumbar area. A pulsed emission of 840 KHz and 30v will be made dynamically during a treatment time of 20 minutes. Once the application of (MDR) is finished, an exercise program supervised by a physiotherapist will be carried out. The exercise program will consist mainly of three types: stability and lumbo-pelvic motor control, strengthening and stretching of the lumbar muscles (Annex XIV), with a duration of 20 minutes. 2 weekly sessions will be held for 4 weeks, distributed as follows: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday, a total of 8 treatment sessions.

monopolar dielectric diathermy and supervised therapeutic exercise

Active Comparator: Supervised therapeutic exercise OTHER

The Control Group formed by 30 subjects will be administered a training program consisting of three types of exercises, taking into account: stability and lumbopelvic motor control, strengthening and stretching of the lumbar muscles, exactly the same as the Experimental Group. With a duration of 20 minutes. 2 weekly sessions will be held for 4 weeks, distributed as follows: Monday and Wednesday or Tuesday and Thursday with a total of 8 treatment sessions.

Supervised therapeutic exercise

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 30 Years - 67 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Low back pain ≥ 3 months.
• Age between 30 and 67 years old.
• Score ≥ 4 points on the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire.
• Not being receiving physical therapy.

You may not qualify if:

• (1) patients with sensory and/or coagulation disorders; (2) a history of spinal surgery; (3) heart complications; (4) concurrent severe central or peripheral nervous system disease; (5) epilepsy; (6) needle phobia; (7) serious pathologies that can be the main cause of chronic LBP (for example, presence of lumbar stenosis, spondylolisthesis, tumours, etc.); (8) or patients contraindicated for radiofrequency (diathermy).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad de Almeria: lead

Study Sites (1)

Adelaida María Castro-Sánchez

Almería, 04120, Spain

Location

Related Publications (17)

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• Kumaran B, Watson T. Thermal build-up, decay and retention responses to local therapeutic application of 448 kHz capacitive resistive monopolar radiofrequency: A prospective randomised crossover study in healthy adults. Int J Hyperthermia. 2015;31(8):883-95. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2015.1092172. Epub 2015 Nov 2.

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  BACKGROUND

• Tashiro Y, Hasegawa S, Yokota Y, Nishiguchi S, Fukutani N, Shirooka H, Tasaka S, Matsushita T, Matsubara K, Nakayama Y, Sonoda T, Tsuboyama T, Aoyama T. Effect of Capacitive and Resistive electric transfer on haemoglobin saturation and tissue temperature. Int J Hyperthermia. 2017 Sep;33(6):696-702. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2017.1289252. Epub 2017 Feb 19.

  PMID: 28139939 BACKGROUND

• Kumaran B, Watson T. Radiofrequency-based treatment in therapy- related clinical practice - a narrative review. Part II: chronic conditions. Phys Ther Rev. 2016;20:325-343.

  BACKGROUND

• Albornoz-Cabello M, Barrios-Quinta CJ, Escobio-Prieto I, Sobrino-Sanchez R, Ibanez-Vera AJ, Espejo-Antunez L. Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome with Dielectric Radiofrequency Diathermy: A Preliminary Single-Group Study with Six-Month Follow-Up. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Apr 28;57(5):429. doi: 10.3390/medicina57050429.

  PMID: 33925211 BACKGROUND

• Ibanez-Vera AJ, Garcia-Romero JC, Alvero-Cruz JR, Lomas-Vega R. Effects of Monopolar Dielectric Radiofrequency Signals on the Symptoms of Fibromyalgia: A Single-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Apr 3;17(7):2465. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17072465.

  PMID: 32260313 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Chronic Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 17, 2021
• First Posted: December 8, 2021
• Study Start: December 12, 2021
• Primary Completion: March 25, 2022
• Study Completion: May 13, 2022
• Last Updated: July 21, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-07

Locations

ES (1)