Clinical trial NCT06375018: Effect of the Diaphragm Stretching Technique on Nonspecific Low Back Pain
Official title: Effect of the Diaphragm Stretching Technique on Symptomatology in Young Adults With Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Nonspecific Low Back Pain
Keywords: Diaphragm
Low Back Pain
Osteopathy
Osteopathic Medicine
Stretching Technique
Young Adults
Lead sponsor: Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde do Porto
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-04-19
Enrollment: 45
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 30
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This study aims to analyze the efficacy of diaphragm stretching technique on symptomatology in young adults with nonspecific low back pain.

Detailed description: Nonspecific low back pain occurs when there is an imbalance in the lower back between functional load and the ability to perform daily tasks. It is characterized as such when there is no specific and well-determined diagnosis and there are no structural changes.

The diaphragm and abdominal muscles together create a hydraulic effect in the abdominal cavity, which helps stabilize the spine, providing rigidity to the lumbar spine by increasing intra-abdominal pressure. Diaphragmatic changes in patients diagnosed with low back pain may contribute to the lack of spinal control activity through several mechanisms. Thus, it is concluded that the diaphragm is anatomically related to the lumbar spine, through its muscle fibers.

There are articles that relate the topic of low back pain with Osteopathic Manual Treatment, demonstrating that, despite this lack of scientific evidence, the results obtained at a clinical level are favorable.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of diaphragm stretching techniques on symptoms experienced by young adults with non-specific low back pain.

In this study, the investigators will analyze the effects of the diaphragm stretching technique on the following variables: the sniff nasal inspiratory pressure test (SNIP test) , Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score, the Schober test and measurement of the distance between the fingers and the ground during anterior flexion of the trunk, without flexion of the lower limbs (also known as the Finger Tip Test).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Nonspecific low back pain;
* Age between 18 and 30.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Serious cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory causes;
* Spinal pathologies and injuries to the lumbar spine;
* Cancer patients;
* Pacemaker or implant carriers;
* Pregnant women or volunteers suspected of being pregnant.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in level of inspiratory capacity immediately after intervention
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
measure: Change in the level of disability derived from low back pain immediately after the intervention
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
measure: Change in the level of functionality of the lumbar spine immediately after the intervention
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
measure: Change in the level of functionality of the lumbar spine immediately after the intervention
timeFrame: Immediately after the intervention
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Porto
country: Portugal
facility: Escola Superior de Saúde do Porto
Study officials:
affiliation: Escola Superior de Saúde do Porto
name: Natália MO Campelo, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
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