Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine (대한물리의학회지)

The Korean Society of Physical Medicine (대한물리의학회)
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Effects of Interferential Current Treatment on Pain, Disability, and Balance in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Study

  • Received : 2020.06.14
  • Accepted : 2020.07.12
  • Published : 2020.08.31
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Abstract

PURPOSE: This study investigated the efficacy of interferential current (IFC) treatment on the improvement of pain, disability, and balance in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. METHODS: A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted with 40 patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. The patients were randomly allocated into two groups: the IFC treatment group (n = 20) and the placebo treatment group (n = 20). The IFC group received 30 minutes of IFC treatment on the lumbar region, while the placebo group received IFC treatment without real electrical stimulation. The intervention was administered five days a week for two weeks. RESULTS: The primary outcomes of resting pain and pain during functional movement were measured by a visual analogue scale. The secondary measurements included the Oswestry disability index (ODI) for low back pain and postural sway. The measurements were performed before and after the two-week intervention period. Compared to the placebo treatment group, the IFC treatment group showed significantly greater improvement in pain during anterior trunk flexion in the standing position (p = .029), ODI (p = .039), and postural sway when subjects stood with their eyes closed (p = .010) at the end of the intervention. CONCLUSION: Our findings show that IFC treatment can improve pain, disability, and postural sway, thus, highlighting the benefits of somatosensory stimulation from IFC.

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References

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