Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38905030›Full record

Trial reportJournal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation2024

Sustained acoustic medicine treatment of discogenic chronic low back pain: A randomized, multisite, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Ralph Ortiz, Thomas Motyka, Stephanie Petterson, Jason Krystofiak

Abstract readRandomized Controlled TrialMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in Journal of back and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, 2024. 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
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.

  1. Long Duration Ultrasound: Recent Advancements and Clinical Applications.International journal on physical medication & rehabilitation · 2025
    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

4 authors.

Ralph OrtizDepartment of Pain Management, Cayuga Medical Center, Ithaca, NY, USA.
Thomas MotykaDepartment of Osteopathic Medicine, Campbell University, Buies Creek, NC, USA.
Stephanie PettersonResearch Department, Orthopedic Foundation, Stamford, CT, USA.
Jason KrystofiakDepartment of Orthopedics, Rutgers University, Barnabas Health, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSustained acoustic medicine (SAM) is a noninvasive long-term treatment that provides essential mechanical and thermal stimulus to accelerate soft tissue healing, alleviate pain, and improve physical activity. SAM increases localized deep tissue temperature, blood flow, cellular proliferation, migration, and nutrition exchange, resulting in reduced inflammation and an increased rate of tissue regeneration.

objectiveTo assess the efficacy of SAM treatment of discogenic back pain in the lower spinal column to reduce pain, improve quality of life, and lower pharmacotherapy use.

methodsSixty-five subjects with chronic low back pain were randomly assigned to SAM (N= 33) or placebo (N= 32) groups. Subjects self-applied SAM device bilaterality on the lower lumbar region for 4 hours daily for 8 weeks and completed daily pain diaries before, during, and after treatment. Subjects recorded pain reduction using a numeric rating scale (NRS), medication use, and physical activity using the Global Rating of Change (GROC) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

resultsSAM treatment significantly reduced chronic lower back pain from baseline relative to placebo treatment (p< 0.0001). SAM treated subjects reported significantly lower back pain at 4 weeks, with the highest pain reduction (-2.58 points NRS, p< 0.0001) reported at 8 weeks. Similar trends were observed in improved physical activity (3.48 GROC, p< 0.0001, 69-88% ODI, p< 0.0001) and 22.5% (15.2 morphine milligram equivalent) reduction in the use of opioid medication from baseline to 8 weeks.

conclusionDaily, home-use SAM treatment significantly improves the clinical symptoms of chronic lower back pain, improves physical mobility, and reduces daily medication use. SAM treatment is well-tolerated by patients and may be considered a safe, non-invasive treatment option for chronic discogenic, lower back pain.

Indexed as

Chronic PainLow Back PainPain MeasurementAdultDisability EvaluationDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQuality of LifeTreatment Outcomechronic paindurable medical equipmentherniated discsLow back painlow-intensity continuous ultrasoundmechanotransductionsustained acoustic medicineultrasound therapy

Identifiers

PMID38905030
PMCPMC11492000

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

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.