Scientific Studies: Shockwave Therapy for Long-Term Chronic Lower Back Pain

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 619 million people struggle with low back pain, including obese individuals and pregnant women. The main problem is that in most cases, untreated low back pain often has a return rate of almost 24-80%, research reports.

Low back pain is more pronounced as discomfort or pain in the lower part of the body, mainly the lumbar region of the spine. The symptoms of low back pain can be mild, severe to acute (up to weeks), or chronic (more than three months). The most severe conditions can lead to scoliosis, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis, degenerative disc diseases, and more.

Clinical Studies and Research

However, shockwave therapy, through its histological benefits, can help with lower back pain.

A meta-analysis study published in the National Library of Medicine in 2021 discussed the effectiveness of shockwaves for treating chronic low back pain (CLBP). The study researched ten relevant studies involving 455 young and middle-aged women. The shockwave group had lower pain intensity and disability scores in month 1, as well as lower disability scores in month 3. The findings suggest that shockwave therapy led to short-term reductions in pain and disability for CLBP patients.

Another study, published in the National Library of Medicine in 2014, talks about the effectiveness of shockwaves on chronic lower back pain. Twenty-eight CLBP patients were divided into two groups, with 13 of them receiving shockwaves and 15 of them receiving physical therapy. Both underwent a six-week program, including Williams’ and McKenzie’s exercises. Shockwave therapy involves shockwave impulses applied to specific regions of low back pain. Results showed that the shockwave group saw high improvements in pain intensity (measured by the Visual Analog Scale) and balance ability (measured by BioRescue) compared to the traditional physical therapy group. Various parts of the body showed improvements, mainly in surface area per left side, surface area per right side, surface area per forward side, surface area per back side, and total surface area.

Similarly, extracorporeal shockwave therapy has also been proven as an effective intervention for the treatment of pain and disability in chronic lower back pain patients. 

STORZ MASTERPULS and Back Pain Relief

Shockwave Canada is the exclusive distributor of Storz MP50, MP100, and MP200 in Canada. These Masterpuls series are reliable machines that can help address conditions related to chronic low back pain. Plus, SPINE-ACTOR® transmitters can be used to treat back pain issues. The three differently sized SPINE-ACTOR® transmitters, designed as forked double-tip, can allow you to treat and reach special areas, especially in the hard-to-reach paravertebral region. This can also include easy access to the paravertebral muscles of the entire spine in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar zones.

If you’re a practitioner, discover the advantages of shockwave therapy for yourself. Contact us to learn more about our shockwave therapy machines, including the MASTERPULS Ultra line. Call 1 (888) 741-SHOC (7462) or visit https://shockwavecanada.com.