Purpose
The purpose of this study was to find out if using a machine to stretch the lower back (lumbar extension) while also getting infrared radiation would help people with chronic mechanical low back pain more than just stretching and infrared radiation alone.
How it Was Conducted
This study was completed at the Cairo University research laboratory. 80 patients who had CMLBP and a hypolordotic (less curve than normal) lumbar spine (low back) were randomly assigned to be in the traction group or the comparison group. The study had a follow-up term of three months.
The first group (n = 40) did stretching exercises and infrared radiation. The second group (n = 40) added lumbar extension traction to the stretching exercises and infrared radiation. Researchers measured the absolute rotatory angle, intervertebral movements, and visual analog scale for all patients at 3 different times.
Takeaway
The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups at 2 follow-up time points compared with the baseline values for the translational and sagittal rotational movements of L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1, and L2-L3 (post-treatment) and absolute rotatory angle (P < .01). There were no statistically significant changes in pain (P = .1 and .3) and L1-L2 (P = .072 and .076) or L2-L3 (at follow-up; P = .3), and there was no significant difference between all the previous variables adjusted to the groups' baseline outcome interaction (P > .01).
Lumbar extension traction with stretching exercises and infrared radiation was superior to stretching exercises and infrared radiation alone for correcting the sagittal lumbar curve, pain, and intervertebral movement in CMLBP.
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