The effects of pulsed/continuous short wave diathermy in chronic low back pain when added to back school and home exercise program

Purpose And Hypothesis:Aim of this study is to search for the effects of pulsed/continuous short wave diathermy in chronic low back pain when added to back school and home exercise program.Material And Metods:90 patients with chronic low back pain are included in this double blinded randomised controlled study. All patients undergo back school education and home exercise program. Then randomised into 3 groups. First group was control group with plasebo short wave diatermy. The patients in second group were given continuous short wave diatermy and pulsed short wave diatermy to third group. Before treatment, after 15 session diatermy application and at the end of third month patients were evaluated. We used VAS for pain, modified oswestry questionarre for disability, beck depression scale for psychological status and isokinetic systems for isometric-isokinetic muscle strength measurements.Findings And Results:There were significiant improvements in all evaluated parameters in all treatment groups. When groups are compared with each other according to initial values, there was significiant reduction in pain and increased isometric flexor strength in third group and also increased 60 °/sn isokinetic extansor muscle strength in second and third group. In other parameters (Pain Disability Index, Beck Depression Scale, Modified Oswestry Questionnare) there was no any significiant difference between groups.Conclusion:Treatment groups; according to pain and muscle strength parameters, with additional pulsed/continuous short wave diatermy therapy to back school and home exercise program were significiant different from plasebo group. There were no difference in Beck Depression Scale, Modified Oswestry Disability Questionnare and Pain Disability Index.Key Words: Chronic low back pain, short wave diathermy