An interventional study of Buffalo horn technique in Low Back Pain, Mechanical, sponsored by Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Taiwan. Open to female participants aged 20 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-06-07.
Sponsored by Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
The Investigators conduct this study to compare two different massage methods with "buffalo horn technique": the deep massage and the superficial massage. To explore the effects of the two interventions on low back pain, the investigators evaluated the outcome measurements regarding pain severity and physical functions before and after 6 times of treatment through a 3-week period.
Background: Nonspecific lower back pain is an important global health issue, with high prevalence over the world and causing huge economic loss.
This research is a double-blind randomized controlled trial. In this study the investigators introduce a technique derived from traditional Chinese massage using a special tool made from buffalo's horns to perform the massage, so called "buffalo horn technique". The tool is like a short rod in about 15-cm length with a cone-like end. During the massage, the therapist presses the cone-like end against the painful region of back. Because the cone-like end has a small contact area with the participant's body surface, it may release deep layer fascia with higher pressure produced by the therapist toward the treatment area. During the intervention of shallow massage, the therapist applies a lower force then that used in the deep massage. Thus it produces a lower pressure on the painful region due to a larger contact surface when pressing the rod end against the body of the participant.
Participants are randomly assigned to either deep-massage group (DM) or superficial-massage (SM) group. The participants received two sessions a week for a total six sessions. The outcome measures include the structured questionnaire to investigate the pain-related outcomes and back pain-related disabilities. The investigators also perform the clinical assessments such as range of motion of trunk. All the outcomes are assessed before-intervention (pretest) and after the end of intervention (posttest).
2,373 studies on the registry are indexed under Back Pain; 284 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 56 is close to the median of 60 across 1,941 interventional studies indexed under Back Pain.
Browse Back Pain studies →Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital is the lead sponsor of 196 studies on the registry; 19 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
The therapist performs the deep massage with "buffalo horn technique". A small rod with a cone-like end was used in the technique. By pressuring the rod end with a higher force against the body surface of the participant, it produces higher pressure that may release the deep-layer fascia of muscles. Thus this technique features a deep massage.
Other: Buffalo horn technique
The therapist performs the superficial massage with "buffalo horn technique". By pressuring the rod end with a lower force against the body surface of the participant, it produces lower pressure. Thus this intervention features a superficial massage.
Other: Buffalo horn technique
The participants receive a 30-min massage session, twice a week for a total 6 sessions.
Also known as: Massage with a Chinese therapeutic tool
Visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain severity
0-100mm VAS where 0 represents no pain and 100 represents the strongest pain
Time frame: 7 weeks
Oswestry Disability Index
Patients rate the severity (from no problem scored "0" to the worst scored "5") on 10 daily activities. Thus the total scores range from 0 to 50.
Time frame: 7 weeks
Roland-Morris Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire
Participants answer "true" or "false" on 24 items that describe the impact of low back pain on daily activity. Thus the total scores range from 0 to 24.
Time frame: 7 weeks
Short form of "World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument" (WHOQOL-BREF)
The Chinese version has 28 items covering 4 domains in terms of "physical, emotional, social, and environmental". Scores are transformed from 0 to 100 for each domain with higher scores indicating better quality of life.
Time frame: 7 weeks
Pain pressure threshold
Using the pressure algometer to measure the pressure enough to elicit the tenderness,
Time frame: 3 weeks
Range of motion (ROM) of the trunk
ROM of flexion and extension of the back
Time frame: 3 weeks
Plan to share: No — only for this study
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in Jun 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Taipei Medical University WanFang Hospital