Volume 29, Issue 4, 2020
DOI: 10.24205/03276716.2020.896
Effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy on chronic low back pain and quality of life
Abstract
Objective: To assess the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) on chronic low back pain and quality of life.
Methods: A total of 200 patients with chronic low back pain who were treated in our hospital from February 2017 to February 2019 were divided into observation group (n=100) and control group (n=100) using a random number table. Patients in observation group underwent ESWT, while those in control group received super laser therapy. The degree of pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and compared between the two groups before and after treatment. The quality of life of patients, including role physical, bodily pain, social function, general health, mental health and role emotional, was scored and compared between the two groups after treatment. The patients were followed up for 1 year after treatment, and the cases of walking difficulty, lumbar anteflexion, retroextension and side-flexion and spinal deformity were counted and compared between the two groups.
Results: The VAS score dropped markedly in both groups compared with that before treatment, and observation group had an evidently lower VAS score and a significantly higher effective rate than control group (94.00% vs. 64.00%, P<0.05). Besides, after treatment, the quality of life score in observation group was higher than that in control group (P<0.05), and observation group had a lower incidence rate of complications than control group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: ESWT has a prominent effect in the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain, and it can distinctly improve the quality of life of patients, with better prognosis.
Keywords
extracorporeal shock wave therapy; chronic low back pain; effect; quality of life