The Effectiveness of Short-term Massage Versus Trabert Current Therapy in Patients With Low Back Pain

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is still a frequent health problem. Recurrance of symptoms leads to high absence at work. It was proved in previous studies that low back manual massage has a significant impact on pain reduction. Trabert current (TC) is common physical modality used in rehabilitation of patients with LBP. The aim of study was to assess the effectiveness of manual massage in comparison to TC in patients with LBP. Methods: Sixty patients with LBP were enrolled in to the study. In all patients discopathy and spondyloarthrosis were diagnosed. The subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: massage (I=30) and TC (II=30) therapy. The procedures were performed for ten days. Pain intensity was assessed by Numerical Rating Scale. Quality of life and the degree of disability were evaluated by Oswestry Disability Index and Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire. Results: In both groups pain reduction and functional improvement were observed after therapy. However, better results were noticed in group I.