Comparative Clinical Trial: Manual Therapy With and Without Radial Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy to Treat Acute Low Back Pain

Launched by NORTHEAST COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES · Feb 25, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying whether adding a treatment called radial pulse therapy to chiropractic care can help adults recover faster from acute low back pain. Radial pulse therapy uses sound waves to help relieve pain and improve healing in the body. Researchers want to find out if this combination of therapies can reduce pain more effectively and improve physical function sooner than chiropractic care alone.

To participate in the trial, you need to be between 18 and 40 years old and have been experiencing low back pain for less than three months, with a pain level of more than 3 on a scale of 0 to 10. During the trial, participants will visit the clinic once a week for five weeks, where they will receive chiropractic care, with some getting the additional radial pulse therapy. Each visit will include reporting pain levels and doing a physical function test. This study is currently recruiting participants, and it's important to note that certain medical conditions or treatments may exclude you from joining the trial.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Biological sex of male or female
• • 2. Age Range: 18 to 40 years old
• • 3. Diagnosis of acute mechanical low back pain (\< 3 months duration)
• • 4. Pain intensity \> 3 on the 11 point NPRS with 0 "being no pain at all" to 10 "being worse pain possible" within the context of either "right now" or "at its worst during the past 7 days"
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Subjects who are currently using over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and naproxen (Aleve), or prescription NSAIDs to manage any medical condition.
• • 2. Subjects who used oral corticosteroids that are only available by prescription to manage any medical condition within the past 6 weeks.
• • 3. Subject who received a corticosteroid injection for any medical condition within the past 6 weeks.
• • 4. Subjects who are not willing to be randomly assigned to either of the treatment interventions.
• • 5. Subjects with open wounds to the lower and mid back that will prevent the application of radial ESWT.
• • 6. Subjects with hypermobility and/or instability of the lower and mid back, which are contraindications for manual therapy.
• • 7. Subjects who have a case history of low back pain episodes, e.g., chronic or persistent occurrence of low back pain.
• • 8. Subjects who do not meet the differential diagnosis of acute mechanical low back pain, i.e., origin of their back pain is unknown or non-specific to a low back structure.
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