Gua Sha Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain

Low Back Pain Clinical Trial

Official title:

Gua Sha Therapy for Chronic Low Back Pain: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT03333213
• Other study ID #: 08-3594
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• First received: November 2, 2017
• Last updated: November 2, 2017
• Start date: January 1, 2009
• Est. completion date: December 1, 2010

Study information

• Verified date: November 2017
• Source: Universität Duisburg-Essen
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial 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.

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 information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 50
• Est. completion date: December 1, 2010
• Est. primary completion date: December 1, 2010
• Accepts healthy volunteers: No
• Gender: All
• Age group: 18 Years to 75 Years

Eligibility

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

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Back Pain
• Low Back Pain

Intervention

Other:
• Gua Sha

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Universität Duisburg-Essen

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Pain intensity	100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0mm meaning 'no pain at all' to 100mm meaning 'the worst pain imaginable'	12 weeks
Secondary	Pain on movement	Pain on Movement Questionnaire (POM)	12 weeks
Secondary	Functional disability	Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)	12 weeks
Secondary	Pressure-pain threshold (PPT)	PPT was measured using a digital algometer (Somedic AB, Horby, Sweden).	12 weeks
Secondary	Mechanical detection threshold (MDT)	MDT was measured with a set of von Frey filaments (Somedic Sales AB, Horby, Sweden).	12 weeks
Secondary	Vibration detection threshold (VDT)	VDT was determined using a Rydel-Seiffer tuning fork (64 Hz, 8/8 scale)	12 weeks
Secondary	Adverse events		12 weeks