Towards a biophysical approach to different levels of low back pain

Abstract

Low back pain is a very common complaint in general population. It is the most spread among spine's diseases and a leading cause of disability. The need for new strategies for its management is therefore continuously increasing. Biophysical therapies have been reported to be effective in the treatment of pain in comparison to the common anti inflammation drug ibuprofen and to placebo. Moreover, in a previous pilot work biophysical therapy showed its effectiveness in the amelioration of low back pain in patients with chronic recurrent low back pain. Biophysical therapies exert, very likely, their effects though a resonance phenomenon. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility to employ a biophysical procedure in the treatment of different levels of low back pain. Forty-five consecutive patients, 28 females and 17 males, with three different levels of low back pain, participate into this study employing an electro medical device (Med Select) to perform the electromagnetic information transfer procedure through aqueous system (Nomabit Base) according to the already stated standards. Assessment was done at baseline, as inclusion criteria, and at the end of the biophysical delivery after three months, as comparison, with the Roland Morris low back pain and disability questionnaire. Patients was divided into three groups, fifteen for each, according to their initial score: mild 1–8, medium 9–16, severe 17– 24. A global reduction in the low back pain and disability scoring was observed after 3 months following a single biophysical intervention (p < 0.0001) without difference in the three subgroups. Biophysical treatment should to be considered for larger and longer trials in order to meet the requirements to be widespread as possible integrative support to the number of people with low back complaints.