The Effectiveness of Telerehabilitation Modalities in Physical Therapy in the Management of Chronic Low Back Pain
Condition: Low Back Pain
MeSH terms: Back Pain; Low Back Pain
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Low back pain (LBP), a common disorder, causes disability, functional decline and high health
      care costs. Patient care programs include specific exercises for promoting function and
      improving health. Self-practice and adherence to treatment are important for treatment
      success and better outcomes. Telerehabilitation (TR) might improve patient symptoms,
      compliance to treatment and reduce patient symptoms, however, its effectiveness in treating
      LBP, still needs further investigation.

      The overall aim of this study will be to examine the effectiveness of combining
      telerehabilitation within physical therapy treatments for patients with LBP
    

Detailed description: 
      The study will include 60 patients complaining of chronic nonspecific LBP over a 6 month
      period of time and referred for physical therapy treatment. They will undergo a routine
      physical examination and be assigned a personal treatment (manual therapy and electrotherapy)
      and exercise program in accordance with their condition. Participants will receive a total of
      8 treatments over a 4-week period (twice a week).

      The sample will be randomly divided into 2 groups: a. research group A will receive a video
      of the exercises via e-mails or to their cellphones; b. a control group will receive the
      exercises printed on paper.

      The exercises will be recorded and be supplemented by a verbal explanation and instructions
      as to how to correctly perform the exercises. In total, there will be ten videos, found to be
      important and effective for LBP patients. From these videos, a physical therapist will choose
      the most suitable exercises for the patients after each treatment meeting (face to face). The
      patients will be assessed at baseline, at the end of treatment and at a 3 month follow-up
      telephone assessment.
    

Intervention name(s): telerehabilitation and physical therapy; control
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): subject will receive the LBP exercises as a video to his/her mobile or e-mail; subjects will receive the LBP exercises as printed pictures on paper
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Sixty patients diagnosed with chronic LBP referred for physical therapy to one of the 5 outpatient clinics of Maccabi Health Services in the Haifa metropolitan area, Israel, will be recruited for this study. each subject will undergo a baseline examination including answering several questionnaires/self-reported outcome measures, a history of present or any past LBP and a physical examination routinely conducted during physical therapy assessment and treatments.
Following the physical examination, the physical therapist will decide on the appropriate physical therapy modalities for the specific patients. These techniques will include only manual therapy (soft tissue mobilization and vertebrae segmental mobilization) and interferential electrotherapy. Furthermore, the subject will receive an appropriate exercise program which will performed at home.
Each subject will be randomly referred to one of the research groups.
Masking: Double (Participant, Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: telerehabilitation, exercises, video, physical therapy