Effectiveness Analysis of Ultrasound-guided Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI) in Patient With Chronic Low Back Pain
Condition: Chronic Low-back Pain
MeSH terms: Back Pain; Low Back Pain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The main objective of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of the lumbar nerve root
      stimulation with ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis versus the electrical dry
      needling of trigger points in patients with chronic low back pain.
    

Detailed description: 
      Given that recently the effectiveness of intratissue percutaneous electrolysis (EPI) has
      become of interest in the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, when conventional
      physiotherapy management is not successful, the EPI can promote the healing biological
      processes. Several studies have demonstrated that inflammation can play an important role in
      the progression of muscle degeneration, in addition to potentially contributing to painful
      symptoms in individuals with chronic low back pain.

      This technique involves nonthermal, electrochemical ablation of the lesion via the use of a
      cathodic fluid. The inflammation provoked is very localized and healing is rapid. Although
      EPI has been widely employed lately, the literature contains few studies validating its use.

      The good results reported in studies of tendinopathies have to the undertaking of the present
      work, which compares the long-term effectiveness of EPI and dry needling-both
      ultrasound-guided-for the treatment of chronic low back pain.

      A double blind clinical trial will be developed in a sample of 80 subjects with chronic low
      back pain. Patients of experimental group will receive 1 weekly sessions of intratissue
      percutaneous electrolysis for 3 weeks, for a total of 3 sessions. The aim is to compare the
      effectiveness of applying percutaneous electrolysis in the lumbar nerve root versus applying
      electrical dry needling on trigger points of the gluteus medius, quadratus lumborum, and
      erector spinae muscles (6 sessions, once a week) on disability, pain, fear of movement,
      quality of life, resistance of the trunk flexors, lumbar mobility and muscular electrical
      activity.
    

Intervention name(s): Ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis in the lumbar nerve root; Electrical Dry Needling in trigger points
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): This group will be treated with intratissue percutaneous electrolysis using a needle G32 with galvanic current as a cathodic flow electrode in the posterior nerve root of L3 (one times per week / 3 weeks). The intervention will be guided by ultrasound equipment medically certified (Directive 93/42 / EEC) device (EPI Advanced Medicine, Barcelona, Spain).; It consists in apply the ultrasound-guided percutaneous electrolysis on active and/or latent TPs in the gluteus medius, quadratus lumborum, and erector spinae muscles of the subjects L3 (one times per week / 6 weeks).
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis; Trigger points; Lumbar nerve root; Randomized clinical trial; Electrical dry needling