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Acute Effects of Hot-Pack Therapy in Low Back Pain
Sponsor: Erzurum Technical University
Summary
This single-centre, parallel-group randomized controlled trial will test whether one session of moist hot-pack therapy produces immediate improvements in pain intensity and lumbar erector spinae muscle stiffness in adults with nonspecific low back pain. Participants are randomized 1:1 to hot-pack or sham (room-temperature pack). Outcomes are assessed at baseline and immediately after the session using VAS (0-10 cm) and MyotonPro; a short follow-up (24-48 h) captures Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and perceived change. The intervention is brief, low-risk, and commonly used in clinical practice, yet high-quality evidence on its acute effects is limited.
Official title: Acute Effects of Hot-pack Therapy on Lumbar Erector Spinae Muscle Stiffness and Pain in Adults With Low Back Pain: A Randomised Controlled Trial.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
24
Start Date
2025-11-10
Completion Date
2025-12-30
Last Updated
2025-11-21
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
Hot-Pack
Thermal therapy delivered via a moist hot-pack applied to the lumbar area for 20 minutes. Target pack surface temp ≈60-65 °C at application; 6-8 towel layers to prevent burns; patient positioned prone or side-lying per comfort. Skin integrity checked at minutes 5 and 10; session stopped if adverse reactions occur. Single session only.
Sham Pack
Placebo thermotherapy control using a room-temperature pack with identical preparation, towel barriers, positioning, and duration (20 minutes) as the active intervention. No heat is delivered. Used to preserve participant blinding.