The effect of thermotherapy vs. cryotherapy on pain in non-specific chronic low back pain.
Item
- Title
- The effect of thermotherapy vs. cryotherapy on pain in non-specific chronic low back pain.
- Author(s)
- Halai, Jayshri
- Abstract
- Aim of the studyTo compare the effects on pain and functional disability using thermotherapy and cryotherapy in chronic non-specific low back pain. Materials and methodsA three-week crossover pilot study was carried out. Seven participants (57% female; mean age 38.8 ±13.5 years, 43% male; mean age 22.0 ± 1.7) with non-specific chronic low back pain were randomised to either a heat or cold intervention using Koolpak® gel packs. Participants attended six sessions of 2x10 minute intermittent heat or cold application on the low back (mean temperature hot 39.2 ± 1.1; cold 20.6 ± 1.8), with a 10-minute interval. Primary outcome measures included functional disability measured using an Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at baseline and before crossover. Low back pain perception measured using 100mm visual analog scale (VAS) pre intervention, interval, post intervention and 24hour post intervention. Secondary outcome measures included cutaneous temperature of lumbar region (°C) throughout application of intervention, and pain diary recorded by the experimenter. ResultsDifferences in ODI (p=<0.001) and ODI subsections decreased with a main effect of time pre vs. post cold intervention and main effect of group pre cold vs. pre hot and post hot vs. post cold. Increased ODI differences were found pre vs. post hot intervention (p=<0.05). Differences indicating decrease VAS was detected between cold intervention pre1, cold pre2 and cold pre3 compared to cold post3 24 (p=0.050, 0.037 and 0.014 respectively). Subjectively, participants preferred cold packs for relieving low back pain. ConclusionsThese results suggest a decrease in pain and disability over time in the cryotherapy intervention group. However cryotherapy was not significantly more effective compared to thermotherapy. Further research is needed on a larger population with appropriate temperatures and reconsidering time length of application for each of the interventions.
- presented at
- British College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Date Accepted
- 2015
- Date Submitted
- 13.11.2018 13:50:37
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Number of pages
- 23
- Submitted by:
- 4457
- Pub-Identifier
- 16301
- Inst-Identifier
- 1076
- Keywords
- Cryotherapy, Functional disability, Hydrotherapy, Non-specific chronic low back pain, Randomised controlled trial, Thermotherapy
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Halai, Jayshri, “The effect of thermotherapy vs. cryotherapy on pain in non-specific chronic low back pain.”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2024, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/2046