Clinical Studies
Controlled Trial of a back support (‘Lumbotrain’) in patients with
non-specific low back pain
MJ.C. Valle-Jones, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D. Obst. R.G.O.G., H. Walsh, M.B., B.S., J. O’ Hara, M.V., Ch.B.,
H. O’ Hara, M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., M.R.G.O.G., M.R.C.G.P., N.B. Davey, M.D., B.S., D.A.,
and H. Hopkin-Richards, M.B., B.S., United Kingdom
Published in Current Medical Research and Opinion, 1992
- 3216 patients with non-specific low back pain participated in a study to assess the clinical efficacy of a new back support, the Bauerfeind Lumbotrain, as compared to “standard therapy” of rest and lifestyle changes. The Lumbotrain group consisted of 111 patients and the control group consisted of 105 patients. All patients were allowed to take pain medication if necessary. Physicians performed a clinical evaluation before and after the study, and the patients made daily assessments of pain levels for 21 days.
- The study shows that there were progressive, significant reductions in mean scores for all the pain and activity criteria in both groups and these were significantly greater in the Lumbotrain group from day 7 onward.
- The times taken for reduction of symptom scores to 10% of initial values were significantly less in the Lumbotrain group with a degree of recovery occurring 2 to 4 days more rapidly than in the control group.
- A significantly higher proportion of patients in the Lumbotrain group could work normally, as compared to 67% in the control group.
- The Lumbotrain group took much less pain medication (median 24.5 doses) than the control group (median 51 doses).
- Overall clinical assessment scores were significantly superior in the Lumbotrain group. Improvement was seen in 95% of the cases for the Lumbotrain group, as compared with 77% of the cases in the control group.
- At the end of the study, 89% of patients in the Lumbotrain group were considered to have returned to normal, while only 68% of patients in the control group returned to normal.
- Of those patients who wore the Lumbotrain, 94% commented positively on it.
- It is suggested that because of high patient compliance and significantly greater and more rapid alleviation of symptoms than with conventional measures, the use of Lumbotrain should be considered as a possible valuable aid in the management of patients with non-specific low back pain.
