Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31784906›Full record

Trial reportSchmerz (Berlin, Germany)2020

[Electrical muscle stimulation in combination with heat for patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain : A randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo-controlled clinical trial].

Stefan Neuwersch-Sommeregger, Markus Köstenberger, Wolfgang Pipam, Christian Breschan, Haro Stettner, Susanne Demschar, Brigitte Trummer, Rudolf Likar

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Schmerz (Berlin, Germany), 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 100% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Stefan Neuwersch-SommereggerZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich. stefan.neuwersch@kabeg.at.
Markus KöstenbergerZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Wolfgang PipamZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Christian BreschanZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Haro StettnerInstitut für Statistik, Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Susanne DemscharZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Brigitte TrummerZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Rudolf LikarZentrum für interdisziplinäre Schmerztherapie, Onkologie und Palliativmedizin, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Feschnigstraße 11, 9020, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Österreich.
Klinikum Klagenfurt · ATMedical University of Graz · ATUniversity of Klagenfurt · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundChronic non-specific low back pain (LBP) causes more disability than any other medical condition worldwide. Electrical muscle stimulation in combination with heat (EMS/H) for management of LBP has yet not been properly studied. Our hypothesis was that EMS/H provides better pain relief and improves subjective and objective data compared to standard treatment.

methodsBetween 2015 and 2017, we conducted a 6 week randomized, double-blind, stratified, placebo controlled clinical trial, comparing two different forms of EMS/H with placebo treatment with a follow-up 12 weeks after randomization. Patients >18 years with LBP for >6 months and a pain intensity of numerical rating scale (NRS) ≥4/10 were enrolled.

resultsA total of 100 patients were recruited. Patients were representative of a LBP population with moderate to severe pain (NRS 5.7/10). After 18 treatments, we found a statistically significant pain reduction, which was also observed at the 12 week follow-up.

conclusionEMS/H is an effective and safe method for managing LBP. A clinically relevant and persisting pain reduction, a stable decrease in self-perceived disability, an improvement in both mood and affective characterization as well as sensory characterization of pain, muscle strength and endurance may have a significant impact on the management of LBP.

Indexed as

Chronic PainElectric Stimulation TherapyHyperthermia, InducedLow Back PainDouble-Blind MethodHot TemperatureHumansMuscle StrengthTreatment OutcomeEMSEMS/WHeatLow back painMuscle stimulation

Identifiers

PMID31784906
OpenAlexW2995082101

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.