Study protocol for targeted interventions to prevent chronic low back pain in high-risk patients: A multi-site pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial (TARGET Trial).

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most prevalent and potentially disabling conditions for which people seek health care. Patients, providers, and payers agree that greater effort is needed to prevent acute LBP from transitioning to chronic LBP.

Methods And Study Design: The TARGET (Targeted Interventions to Prevent Chronic Low Back Pain in High-Risk Patients) Trial is a primary care-based, multisite, cluster randomized, pragmatic trial comparing guideline-based care (GBC) to GBC + referral to Psychologically Informed Physical Therapy (PIPT) for patients presenting with acute LBP and identified as high risk for persistent disabling symptoms.

Use of localized human growth hormone and testosterone injections in addition to manual therapy and exercise for lower back pain: a case series with 12-month follow-up.

Objective: The objective of this case series was to investigate the feasibility and safety of a novel method for the management of chronic lower back pain. Injections of recombinant human growth hormone and testosterone to the painful and dysfunctional areas in individuals with chronic lower back pain were used. In addition, the participants received manual therapies and exercise addressing physical impairments such as motor control, strength, endurance, pain, and loss of movement.

A randomized clinical trial comparing extensible and inextensible lumbosacral orthoses and standard care alone in the management of lower back pain.

Study Design: Single blinded, randomized clinical trial for the evaluation of lumbosacral orthoses (LSOs) in the management of lower back pain (LBP).

Objective: To evaluate the effects of two types of LSOs on self-rated disability in patients with LBP.

Summary Of Background Data: LSOs are commonly used for the management of LBP, but their effectiveness may vary because of design.

Association between reliance on devices and people for walking and ability to walk community distances among persons with spinal cord injury.

Objective: To identify and describe the frequency of reliance on assistive devices and/or people for ambulating distances and stair climbing.

Design: Survey.

Setting: A total of 429 adults with traumatic spinal cord injury who were able to walk at least 10 m were identified through inpatient and outpatient hospital databases at a specialty hospital in the southeast United States.

Comparison of trunk stiffness provided by different design characteristics of lumbosacral orthoses.

Background: Lumbosacral orthoses (LSOs) are class I medical devices that are used in conservative and postoperative management of low back pain. The effectiveness of LSOs depends on their design aimed at enhancing trunk stiffness. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare two lumbar supports: extensible (made of neoprene and lycra) and non-extensible (made of polyester and nylon).

Lumbosacral orthoses reduce trunk muscle activity in a postural control task.

Biomechanical modeling estimated that trunk muscle activity during various tasks could be reduced by 1-14% without the loss of spine stability when a lumbosacral orthosis (LSO) is worn [Cholewicki, J., 2004. The effects of lumbosacral orthoses on spine stability: what changes in EMG can be expected? Journal of Orthopedic Research 22, 1150-1155].

The effects of trunk stiffness on postural control during unstable seated balance.

This paper focused on the relationship between trunk stiffness and postural control during unstable seated balancing. We hypothesized that an increase in trunk stiffness would degrade postural control, and further hypothesized that signal dependent noise (SDN), resulting in increased muscle force variability, was responsible for this impairment. Ten subjects balanced on an unstable seat during four randomized conditions: normal balancing (control condition), trunk muscle co-activation (active stiffness), arm muscle co-activation (attention control), and belt (passive stiffness).

Temperature change in lumbar periarticular tissue with continuous ultrasound.

Study Design: Counterbalanced, within-subjects experimental design.

Objective: To determine the effect of continuous 1-MHz ultrasound, given at 1.5 W/cm2 and 2.