Allocation Concealment and Intention-To-Treat Analysis Do Not Influence the Treatment Effects of Physical Therapy Interventions in Low Back Pain Trials: a Meta-epidemiologic Study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate if allocation concealment and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis influence the treatment effects of physical therapy interventions in low back pain (LBP) trials. DATA SOURCES: We searched on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), and CINAHL up to February 2017. STUDY SELECTION: We included LBP trials that compared physical therapy interventions to placebo or no intervention or minimal intervention with pain or disability outcomes. DATA EXTRACTION: Information about allocation concealment and ITT analysis was extracted from PEDro and pain and disability outcomes converted to a 0-100 scale. A meta-regression was performed to evaluate the influence of these methodological features of interest on treatment effects. Other covariates included in the meta-regression were sample size and sequence generation. DATA SYNTHESIS: We identified 128 eligible trials (pooled N=20,555 participants). A total of 44.5% of the trials achieved allocation concealment, while 32% performed ITT analysis. Meta regression analyses showed no influence of allocation concealment on treatment effects for pain (regression coefficient 0.009; 95% confidence interval [CI] -2.91 to 2.91) and disability (regression coefficient 1.13; 95% CI -1.35 to 3.62), and no influence of ITT analysis for pain (regression coefficient 1.38; 95% CI -1.73 to 4.50) or disability (regression coefficient 1.27; 95% CI -1.39 to 3.64). For the other covariates, there was also no clinically significant influence on the treatment effects. CONCLUSION: There is no influence of allocation concealment or ITT analysis on treatment effects of physical therapy interventions for pain and disability in LBP trials.

Effects of aerobic exercise on pain and disability in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: a systematic review protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Aerobic exercise programs have been used for various health conditions, including musculoskeletal disorders. However, the literature is still limited regarding the effect of aerobic exercise on pain and disability in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. METHODS: Search strategies will be performed in the following databases: PubMed, EMBASE ( https://www.embase.com ), CINAHL, PEDro, Lilacs, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). We will include randomized controlled trials in any language or date of publication. The primary outcomes will be pain and disability. The methodological quality and statistical reporting of each eligible trial will be evaluated using the 11-item PEDro scale. The strength of the recommendations will be summarized using the using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. DISCUSSION: This systematic review will provide a synthesis of current evidence on the effects of aerobic exercise in patients with chronic low back pain on pain and disability outcomes. This information can help healthcare professionals in decision-making related to the use of aerobic exercise in patients with low back pain. Following the guidelines, this systematic review protocol was registered on the Prospective International Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) number CRD42017071945.

Reliability of the Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy System in Patients With Spinal Pain: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: An updated summary of the evidence for the reliability of the Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (MDT) system in patients with spinal pain is needed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the evidence on the intrarater and interrater reliability of MDT in patients with spinal pain. METHODS: Searches in MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, and Scopus were conducted for this systematic review. We included any study design as long as reliability of the MDT method was tested in patients with spinal pain. We collected data on the reliability of MDT to identify main and subsyndromes, directional preference, the centralization phenomenon, and lateral shift. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Quality Appraisal of Diagnostic Reliability and the Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies checklists. RESULTS: Twelve studies were included (8 studies on back pain, pooled n = 2160 patients; 3 studies on neck pain, pooled n = 45 patients; and 3 studies recruited mixed spinal conditions, pooled n = 389 patients). Studies investigating patients with back pain reported kappa estimates ranging from 0.26 to 1.00 (main and subsyndromes), 0.27 to 0.90 (directional preference), and 0.11 to 0.70 (centralization phenomenon). Kappa estimates for studies investigating neck pain ranged from 0.47 to 0.84 (main and subsyndromes) and 0.46 (directional preference). In mixed populations, kappa estimates ranged from 0.56 to 0.96 (main and subsyndromes). CONCLUSION: The MDT system appears to have acceptable interrater reliability for classifying patients with back pain into main and subsyndromes when applied by therapists who have completed the credentialing examination, but unacceptable reliability in other therapists. We found conflicting evidence regarding the reliability of the MDT system in patients with neck pain or mixed pain locations. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2018;48(12):923-933. Epub 22 Jun 2018. doi:10.2519/jospt.2018.7876.

PREVALENCE OF MUSCULOSKELETAL PAIN AMONG SWIMMERS IN AN ELITE NATIONAL TOURNAMENT.

BACKGROUND: Professional swimmers are often affected by a high number of injuries due to their large amount of training. The occurrence of musculoskeletal pain during an important tournament has not been investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain and its characteristics in professional swimmers. Secondary objectives included evaluating the swimmers' injury history over the previous 12 months, and examining the association of the presence of pain with personal and training characteristics of the swimmers. DESIGN: Observational, cross-sectional study. METHOD: Two-hundred and fifty-seven swimmers who participated in the Brazilian Swimming Championship were included in the study and answered a questionnaire about personal and training characteristics, presence of pain, and injuries in the previous 12 months. The relative risk of presence of pain was calculated for the following variables: gender, BMI, stroke specialty, swimmer's position, strength training, practice of another physical activity, and previous injuries. RESULTS: The prevalence of musculoskeletal pain was about 20%, with 60% of swimmers reporting at least one injury in the previous 12 months. The shoulder was the most commonly affected region and tendinopathy was the most common type of previous injury. No significant relationships were found between the presence of pain and personal or training characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated that the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in professional swimmers participating in the most important Brazilian national tournament was approximately 20%, while the majority of participants reported previous injuries in many areas. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c.

Is the rearfoot pattern the most frequently foot strike pattern among recreational shod distance runners?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the distribution of the foot strike patterns among recreational shod runners and to compare the personal and training characteristics between runners with different foot strike patterns. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Areas of running practice in São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: 514 recreational shod runners older than 18 years and free of injury. OUTCOMES MEASURES: Foot strike patterns were evaluated with a high-speed camera (250 Hz) and photocells to assess the running speed of participants. Personal and training characteristics were collected through a questionnaire. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability of the visual foot strike pattern classification method was 96.7% and intra-rater reliability was 98.9%. 95.1% (n = 489) of the participants were rearfoot strikers, 4.1% (n = 21) were midfoot strikers, and four runners (0.8%) were forefoot strikers. There were no significant differences between strike patterns for personal and training characteristics. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to demonstrate that almost all recreational shod runners were rearfoot strikers. The visual method of evaluation seems to be a reliable and feasible option to classify foot strike pattern.

Efficacy of the McKenzie method in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain: a protocol of randomized placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The McKenzie method is widely used as an active intervention in the treatment of patients with nonspecific low back pain. Although the McKenzie method has been compared with several other interventions, it is not yet known whether this method is superior to placebo in patients with chronic low back pain. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this trial is to assess the efficacy of the McKenzie method in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. DESIGN: An assessor-blinded, 2-arm, randomized placebo-controlled trial will be conducted. SETTING: This study will be conducted in physical therapy clinics in São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: The participants will be 148 patients seeking care for chronic nonspecific low back pain. INTERVENTION: Participants will be randomly allocated to 1 of 2 treatment groups: (1) McKenzie method or (2) placebo therapy (detuned ultrasound and shortwave therapy). Each group will receive 10 sessions of 30 minutes each (2 sessions per week over 5 weeks). MEASUREMENTS: The clinical outcomes will be obtained at the completion of treatment (5 weeks) and at 3, 6, and 12 months after randomization. The primary outcomes will be pain intensity (measured with the Pain Numerical Rating Scale) and disability (measured with the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire) at the completion of treatment. The secondary outcomes will be pain intensity; disability and function; kinesiophobia and global perceived effect at 3, 6, and 12 months after randomization; and kinesiophobia and global perceived effect at completion of treatment. The data will be collected by a blinded assessor. LIMITATIONS: Therapists will not be blinded. CONCLUSIONS: This will be the first trial to compare the McKenzie method with placebo therapy in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain. The results of this study will contribute to better management of this population.