A Comparison of Two Different Methods of Physical Therapy to Treat Acute and Subacute Low Back Pain

Summary

Recent research has shown that classifying patients with low back pain into treatment subgroups results in better improvements than treating all patients with low back pain the same. However, physical therapists may use different types of information to determine how to classify their patients. One method uses patient characteristics that have been shown by research to predict good results from a certain type of treatment. Another method uses specific impairments that the physical therapist identifies in a clinical exam to determine which treatment to provide. It is not currently known if one of these methods is better than the other. The purpose of this study is to determine if research-based classification or impairment-based treatment is more effective for treating patients with low back pain that has lasted less than 90 days in terms of improvements in pain and disability. The results of this study may help reduce the high financial cost associated with low back pain.

Conditions

• Low Back Pain

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Patient Education

All subjects will receive education that back pain is common but rarely harmful in nature, that pain does not necessarily mean that there is structural damage to their back, and that they should try to remain as active as they are able within the limits of their pain. In addition, individualized education regarding posture, body mechanics, sleeping positions, or other concerns of the patient will be provided on a pragmatic basis as deemed appropriate by the treating clinician.

PROCEDURE

Manual therapy of the thoracolumbosacral spine and hips

Thrust and/or non-thrust manipulation and soft tissue mobilization as determined by mobility impairments identified on clinical examination.

PROCEDURE

Motor control exercises

Motor control exercises as determined by motor control impairments identified on clinical examination.

PROCEDURE

Treatment-Based Classification intervention

Lumbopelvic manipulation and range of motion exercise, spinal stabilization exercises, direction specific exercises, and/or traction will be applied as determined by the Treatment-Based Classification (TBC) Algorithm.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hendricks Regional Health

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• David W Candy, DPT · Hendricks Regional Health

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

80 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-04-30

Primary Completion

2016-04-30

Completion

2016-09-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations