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Conditions for Lower Back Pain Working NurseNCT04424823

LED Photobiomodulation Therapy for Non-specific LBP in Working Nurses

A study testing LED photobiomodulation in people with Conditions for Lower Back Pain Working Nurse, run by National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch.

Unknown status

Status not confirmed. The sponsor has not verified this record for over two years, so it may be out of date.

Official record
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Trial summary

Background: Low back pain (LBP) affects approximately 51-57% of hospital nurses and nurses' aides in Europe. New high-risk groups include home- and long-term-care nurses and physiotherapists. A number of European countries are experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
LED photobiomodulation
Type of treatment
Surgery or procedure
Could I receive a placebo?
Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
How many people
148 participants
Where
No sites listed yet
Study dates
1 Jul 2020to 18 Nov 2020
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 65 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • male or female registered nurses aged 18-65 years with non-specific chronic LBP, which is defined as pain or discomfort between the costal margins and inferior gluteal folds with or without referred pain to the lower limbs, and persistent LBP for at least 3 months

Who cannot join

  • severe skin diseases (e.g., skin cancer, erysipelas, severe eczema, severe dermatitis, severe psoriasis, and severe hives lupus)
  • LBP associated with nerve root compromise (measured by clinical examination of dermatomes, myotomes, and reflexes)
  • serious spinal pathologies, such as fractures, tumors, and inflammatory and infectious diseases
  • decompensated heart disease or metabolic disorders
  • previous spinal surgery
  • pregnancy.

About this study

Official title: Light -Emitting Diode Photobiomodulation Therapy for Non-specific Low Back Pain in Working Nurses: A Single-center, Double-blind, Prospective, Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Low back pain (LBP) affects approximately 51-57% of hospital nurses and nurses' aides in Europe. New high-risk groups include home- and long-term-care nurses and physiotherapists. A number of European countries are experiencing a shortage of healthcare workers. Light therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment for various musculoskeletal disorders, including lateral epicondylitis, temporomandibular joint pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and delayed-onset muscle soreness. A systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that low-level laser therapy is an effective method for relieving non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). However, the efficacy of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy for NSCLBP is disputed. This study aims to evaluate the effect of LED therapy on NSCLBP.

Methods and analysis: The investigators conducted a prospective, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of 148 patients with NSCLBP. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: intervention group, where patients received LED photobiomodulation therapy three times a week for 2 weeks, and the control group, where patients had sham treatment only three times a week for 2 weeks. Primary outcome measures included the visual analog scale for pain, lumbar active range of motion assessments, and chair-rising times. Secondary outcome measures included a Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory, Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire, and the Oswestry Disability Index. The outcome measures were assessed before therapy and 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months after the first interventions were completed.

Read more

Discussion: This study is a prospective, single-center, double-blind, randomized, controlled study. This study aims to research the efficacy of a 2-week LED program for NSCLBP working nurse. The results will be useful for patients, working nurses, nurses' aides, and other healthcare workers with chronic low back pain.

Trial registration number: This protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov, under the number 108-088-F.

Being tested
LED photobiomodulation
Keywords
LED, LBP, photobiomodulation, nurse

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • LED photobiomodulationProcedure or surgery

    Patients were submitted to photobiomodulation therapy with wavelengths of both 630-nm and 850-nm for RED and near-infrared LEDs, with power density set to 8.5 mW/cm2 and 12.5 mW/cm2, respectively. The LED device (name of device, Applied BioPhotonics) was designed in Silicon Valley, United States, and was approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of minor muscle and joint pain. LED therapy was applied by placing the device on the skin at a 90° angle. Both groups underwent six times therapy sessions (i.e., three times a week for 2 weeks), and during the therapy, only the researcher in charge of programming the LED device was aware of the treatment employed; the programmer did not participate in the execution of the treatments, evaluations, or data analysis.

Study groups in NCT04424823
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
LEDExperimentalLED photobiomodulation therapy for the non-specific LBP working nurse
Receives: Procedure: LED photobiomodulation
ShamSham comparatorShame group. The all procedure was same as the LED group but the LED ped was upside down without direct treatment.
Receives: Procedure: LED photobiomodulation

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. measure assessing change of Lumbar active range of motion between baseline to every time points

    Including forward flexion, extension, and right and left rotations and were measured in degrees using a back range of motion instrument.

    Measured: baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months

  2. measure assessing change of 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) between baseline to every time points

    A 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS), which was used for low back pain assessment. The anchor terms of the VAS were 0 (no pain) and 10 (maximum pain imaginable). Higher VAS scores indicate greater pain intensity.

    Measured: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months

  3. measure assessing change of Chair-rising time between baseline to every time points

    Chair-rising time, wherein the time required for participants to rise five times from a seated position in a standard chair to a standing position as quickly as possible, without using their arms for support, was measured. A longer chair-rising time represents greater physical function limitations.

    Measured: 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Jun 2020
  2. Study start1 Jul 2020 (estimated)
  3. Primary completion18 Nov 2020 (estimated)
  4. Study completion18 Nov 2020 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
148 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT04424823
Sponsor's protocol ID
108-088-F
Status last verified
Jun 2020
First submitted
3 Jun 2020
Last updated
30 Jun 2020
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Lin YP, Su YH, Chin SF, Chou YC, Chia WT. Light-emitting diode photobiomodulation therapy for non-specific low back pain in working nurses: A single-center, double-blind, prospective, randomized controlled trial. Medicine (Baltimore). 2020 Aug 7;99(32):e21611. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000021611.

    PubMed 32769919

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing LED photobiomodulation in people with Conditions for Lower Back Pain Working Nurse, run by National Taiwan University Hospital Hsin-Chu Branch.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 30 Jun 2020. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

measure assessing change of Lumbar active range of motion between baseline to every time points (time frame: baseline, 2 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 6 months). The study lists 3 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04424823, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 30 Jun 2020.

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