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Limiting Trunk Flexion as a Self-treatment for Low Back Pain

CompletedNot applicableNCT01830751
View the official record on ClinicalTrials.gov

Recruiting status changes often. Contact the study team listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, and talk to your doctor before joining a study.

This study has no listed site in Canada in this snapshot. It is included as part of the worldwide chronic pain corpus.

Brief summary (from the registry)

The purpose of the proposed study is to test the effect of an intervention technique that reduces trunk flexion upon rising, on the outcome measures of self-reported back pain and functional impairment in individuals with chronic or recurrent non-specific low back pain (LBP). The intervention is a self-administered and requires no medical intervention or drugs. The technique referred to as the restrained sitting treatment (RST), involves training in minimizing forward bending of the trunk immediately upon rising. The technique builds upon a previous randomized controlled study conducted and published by members of the research team. The underlying premise of RST exploits the natural diurnal pattern as the intervertebral discs (people are tallest when they first wake up). The discs are fully hydrated upon rising, disc internal hydrostatic pressures and external forces acting on surrounding soft tissues are greatest at this time, and these pressures and forces can increase significantly with trunk flexion. The RST technique utilizes a back support used in sitting during the first hour upon rising to minimize trunk flexion during this critical period as the intervertebral discs begins the diurnal cycle of fluid loss. The study will test the null hypothesis that there are no significant difference in outcome (LBP, work or social function/disability) between groups performing RST, the experimental group performing RST upon rising, the control group performing prior to going to bed.

Study details

Official title
Influencing Diurnal Variation in Disc Hydration as a Treatment for Non-specific Low Back Pain
Conditions
Interventions
  • Other: Restrained Sitting Treatment
Sponsor
Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety
Start date
2013-03
Primary completion
2016-12
Sex
All
Age range
from 30 Years to 60 Years
Results posted
No results posted in this snapshot
Countries
United States
Total sites listed
1

Eligibility criteria

Show eligibility criteria (verbatim from the registry)
Inclusion Criteria: * Clinical diagnosis of chronic or recurrent low back pain * Six month or longer history of non-specific LBP * Minimum 90 days in pain in the last six months * Average pain score of past month ≥3 on a 0-10 numerical rating scale Exclusion Criteria: * Red flags (tumor, metabolic diseases, Rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, prolonged steroid use, pregnancy, back surgery) * Evidence of nerve root compression (pain reproduction with SLR\>45º, weakness of major lower extremity muscle group, decreased deep tendon reflexes at knee or ankle, decreased sensation to pinprick) * Acute trauma to low back

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov (US National Library of Medicine), snapshot October 2026. Check the registry for current recruiting status. Record: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01830751