Infrared therapy for chronic low back pain: a randomized, controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Pain Management
• Therapeutic Modalities
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Chronic low back pain affects millions globally, often leading to intractable pain and reduced quality of life.
• Current treatments for chronic low back pain have limitations, necessitating exploration of novel therapeutic approaches.
• Infrared (IR) energy presents a potential non-invasive modality for pain relief.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of infrared (IR) energy in alleviating chronic, intractable low back pain.
• To quantify the degree of pain reduction using a standardized pain scale.
• To assess the safety and tolerability of IR therapy for low back pain.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, placebo-controlled study involving 39 patients with chronic low back pain (over six years duration).
• Participants received either active IR therapy (800-1200 nm wavelength) or a sham treatment via portable waistband units over seven weekly sessions.
• Pain intensity was measured using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at baseline and weekly intervals.

Main Results:

• The IR therapy group experienced a significant reduction in mean NRS scores, decreasing from 6.9 to 3.0.
• The placebo group showed a smaller reduction in mean NRS scores, falling from 7.4 to 6.0.
• The observed pain reduction in the IR group was statistically and clinically significant compared to placebo.

Conclusions:

• The portable IR therapy unit is an effective treatment for reducing chronic low back pain.
• IR therapy demonstrated a favorable safety profile, with no adverse effects reported during the study.
• This study supports the use of IR energy as a viable therapeutic option for managing chronic low back pain.