Trial reportPloS one2026
Effectiveness of shortwave diathermy in patients with chronic low back pain: A study protocol for a randomised, single-blinded, multicentre clinical trial.
Trial report in PloS one, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundChronic low back pain (CLBP) is a leading cause of disability worldwide and a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. Although international guidelines classify shortwave diathermy as a low-value treatment, it remains widely used in physiotherapy practice. Evidence on the effectiveness of continuous shortwave diathermy (CSWD) for CLBP is limited and inconsistent. This study aims to determine whether CSWD, when combined with standard physiotherapy, provides additional benefits compared with sham CSWD plus physiotherapy.
methodsThis multicentre, randomised, single-blind, sham-controlled trial will recruit 208 participants aged 18-65 years with CLBP from tertiary hospitals and physiotherapy clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Participants will be randomly allocated (1:1) to receive CSWD or sham CSWD, each combined with a standardised physiotherapy programme delivered three times weekly for four weeks. The intervention group will receive active CSWD (27.12 MHz, continuous mode, 20 min/session), while the control group will receive sham treatment. Primary outcomes include back pain intensity, leg pain intensity (0-10 numerical rating scale), and activity limitation (Oswestry Disability Index). Secondary outcomes include the Brief Pain Inventory, Global Rating of Change, Satisfaction with Treatment, DASS-21, Insomnia Severity Index, Treatment Credibility Questionnaire, and healthcare utilisation. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 4, 12, and 24 weeks. Data will be analysed using an intention-to-treat approach with linear mixed-effects models. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide high-quality, context-specific evidence on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of CSWD for CLBP in a resource-constrained setting. The findings will inform physiotherapy practice in Bangladesh and may guide the appropriate use or de-implementation of this commonly used modality. The rigorous sham-controlled design will also contribute to the broader evidence base on electrotherapy for chronic pain.
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