Effects of the carrier frequency of interferential current on pain modulation in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Juliana Barbosa Corrêa; Leonardo Oliveira Pena Costa; Naiane Teixeira Bastos de Oliveira; Kathleen A Sluka; Richard Eloin Liebano

doi:10.1186/1471-2474-14-195

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Effects of the carrier frequency of interferential current on pain modulation in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial

Juliana Barbosa Corrêa, Leonardo Oliveira Pena Costa, Naiane Teixeira Bastos de Oliveira, Kathleen A Sluka and Richard Eloin Liebano

BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Vol.14(1), pp.195-195

2013

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-14-195

PMCID: PMC3700815

PMID: 23802771

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Abstract

Background: Low back pain is an important public health problem that is associated with poor quality of life and disability. Among the electrophysical treatments, interferential current (IFC) has not been studied in patients with low back pain in a high-quality randomised controlled trial examining not only pain, but pain mechanisms and function. Methods/design: A three-arm randomised controlled trial with patient and assessor blinded to the group allocation. One hundred fifty patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain from outpatient physical therapy clinics in Brazil. The patients will be randomly allocated into 3 groups (IFC 1 kHz, IFC 4 kHz or Placebo IFC). The interferential current will be applied three days per week (30 minutes per session) over four weeks. Primary outcome: Pain intensity. Secondary outcomes: The pressure pain threshold, global impression of recovery, disability, function, conditioned pain modulation and temporal summation of pain, discomfort caused by the current. All outcomes will be measured at 4 weeks and 4 months after randomisation. The between-group differences will be calculated by using linear mixed models and Tukey's post-hoc tests. Discussion: The use of a placebo group and double-blinding assessor and patients strengthen this study. The present study is the first to compare different IFC carrier frequencies in patients with chronic low back pain.

Study Protocol

Physical Therapy Modalities

Central Sensitization

Central Nervous System Sensitization

Electric Stimulation

Low Back Pain

Details

Title: Subtitle: Effects of the carrier frequency of interferential current on pain modulation in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial
Creators: Juliana Barbosa Corrêa - Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), São Paulo, Brazil
Leonardo Oliveira Pena Costa - Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), São Paulo, Brazil
Naiane Teixeira Bastos de Oliveira - Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), São Paulo, Brazil
Kathleen A Sluka - Graduate Program in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science, University of Iowa, College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
Richard Eloin Liebano - Master’s and Doctoral Programs in Physical Therapy, Universidade Cidade de São Paulo (UNICID), São Paulo, Brazil
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Vol.14(1), pp.195-195
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2474-14-195
PMID: 23802771
PMCID: PMC3700815
NLM abbreviation: BMC Musculoskelet Disord
ISSN: 1471-2474
eISSN: 1471-2474
Publisher: BioMed Central
Language: English
Date published: 2013
Academic Unit: Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Nursing; Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Record Identifier: 9984040237902771

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