Influence of heat therapy and/or vibration on nonspecific back pain: A prospective, open, randomized, controlled, parallel-group clinical study

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Published Jun 1, 2025
https://doi.org/10.62438/tunismed.v103i6.5743
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Vol. 103 No. 6 (2025): Tunis Med June 2025

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Manfred Hartard
Center for Diagnostic and Health, Munich, Germany.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7247-0931
Christian Hartard
Center for Diagnostic and Health, Munich, Germany.
Stephan H Scharla
Ludwig-Maximilians University, Faculty of Medicine, Munich, Germany
Stephanie A Scharla
Practice for internal medicine and endocrinology, Bad Reichenhall, Germany
Diana Hartard
Center for Diagnostic and Health, Munich, Germany.
Daniela Herrera
Center for Diagnostic and Health, Munich, Germany.
Helmi Ben Saad
Heart Failure (LR12SP09) Research Laboratory, Farhat HACHED Hospital, Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse.Tunisia
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7477-2965

Abstract

Introduction: Traditional heat therapy (HEAT) and emerging vibration therapy (VIB) have shown potential benefits in alleviating nonspecific back pain (NSBP). This randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of HEAT, VIB, and their combination (COMBI) in reducing pain levels and improving cardiovascular parameters in NSBP patients.


Methods: Fifty-nine patients with NSBP were randomly assigned to 3 groups: HEAT (n=19), VIB (n=20), and COMBI (n=20). The study included three visits (V1 to V3) with interventions in V2. Pain visual analogue scale scores (ie; primary outcome, with a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) set at 10 mm on a 100 mm scale), oxy-haemoglobin saturation (SpO2), heart-rate, blood-pressure, and perfusion-index were evaluated before (V2b) and after (V2a) each intervention. During V3 (ie; telephone call one day after the intervention) only pain score was evaluated. Changes (ie; V2a-V2b, V3-V2b) were calculated.


Results: All 3 therapies were clinically effective, with mean pain changes exceeding the MCID. The COMBI group showed the greatest pain reduction in mm (17 at V2, 23 at V3) compared to the VIB (15 at V2, 10 at V3) and HEAT (11 at V2, 10 at V3) groups. In comparison to the COMBI group, the VIB one exhibited a higher change in heart-rate (-2±4 vs. 3±5 bpm; -1±3 vs. 1±3 % of predicted maximum hear-rate, respectively). SpO2 change under COMBI decreased significantly by 1±1%. No significant changes were observed in blood-pressure or perfusion-index across the groups.


Conclusions:  COMBI-therapy provides superior pain relief for NSBP compared...(abstract truncated at 250 words)

Keywords:

Back Pain, Heat Therapy, Pain Measurement, Randomized Controlled Trial, Vibration

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Author Biography

Helmi Ben Saad, Heart Failure (LR12SP09) Research Laboratory, Farhat HACHED Hospital, Sousse, Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, University of Sousse.Tunisia

  • Professor of Physiology and Functional Explorations at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse - Tunisia, Department of Physiology and Functional Explorations at EPS Farhat HACHED - Sousse - Tunisia.
  • President of the College of Physiology and Functional Explorations (terms: 2014-2017 and 2021-2023).
  • Master's degree in Biological and Medical Sciences from the University of Montpellier I, France.
  • World expert in spirometry (ranked 1st in Africa): https://expertscape.com/ex/spirometry/c/afr.
  • Diploma of Advanced Studies in "Human Movement Sciences" from the University of Montpellier I, France.
  • Interuniversity Diploma "Pathophysiology of Exercise and Functional Exercise Explorations" from the University of Montpellier 1, France.
  • International PhD in Sciences between the Universities of Montpellier I (France) and Monastir (Tunisia).
  • European Spirometry Driving License Part 1 (theory only) and the European Spirometry Training Program (Part 2: knowledge and competence in practice) and the European Spirometry train-the-trainer course.
  • Invited speaker at numerous international congresses on respiratory functional explorations.
  • Author of over 250 scientific articles in indexed and impact factor journals.
  • Potential reviewer for over 100 indexed and impact factor journals and potential external reviewer for the University of Cape Town (South Africa), uwait (Kuwait) and Mutah (Jordan).
  • Winner of the Sadok BESROUR Award for Excellence in Medical Research (2021).
  • Web:
  1. http://scholar.google.fr/citations?hl=fr&user=oeV_0OwAAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdatehttp://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helmi_Ben_Saad
  2. https://publons.com/author/602231/helmi-ben-saad#profile
  3. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Helmi_Ben_Saad

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