Immediate effects of sensory discrimination for chronic low back pain: A case series

Abstract

Can a brief tactile intervention associated with brain remapping improve pain and spinal movement in patients with chronic low back pain? A convenience sample of patients with chronic low back pain completed various pre-intervention measurements including low back pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), fear-avoidance (Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire), disability (Oswestry Disability Index) and spinal flexion (fingertip-to-floor). A 5-minute localisation of tactile stimuli treatment was administered to the low back, followed by immediate post-intervention measurement of pain and spinal flexion. Sixteen patients (female = 12; mean age 48.2 years) with chronic low back pain (median duration 10 years) presented with a mean low back pain of 5.56 out of 10, moderate disability (mean Oswestry Disability Index 34.38%) and high fear-avoidance associated with physical activity (average 17.25). Immediately following treatment, the group’s mean pain rating for low back pain decreased by 1.91, while forward flexion improved by 4.82 cm. The results from the case series indicate that following a brief tactile discrimination intervention, patients with chronic low back pain exceeded minimal detectible change for forward flexion. Being able to improve movement, without using physical movement, may provide an added benefit for patients with chronic low back pain afraid to move.