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Research projects funded by BackCare

Every year BackCare spends a significant amount of money to funding research projects that aim to further understand the causes and treatment of back pain. Our aim is to fund patient orientated research that can really make a difference to those who want to prevent or manage back pain. From the below list you can see that we have funded a wide range of projects that cover all the disciplines and areas that overlap with back care or back pain.

Below you will find a short summary of projects that have received BackCare funding. Some of the below projects are still ongoing.

2007

  • The effect of different lumbar extension training protocols on low back pain, range of motion and lumbar extension strength.
    Dr David Smith, University of Chester.
Weakness of the lumbar muscles can lead to low back pain (LBP). A machine that enables isolated strength testing and strengthening of the lumbar muscles has proved effective in eliminating LBP in many chronic patients. Research has shown that one weekly treatment session is all that is needed to produce such effects. The manufacturer (MedX Corporation) claims that in the early stages of therapy a second weekly session of lumbar extensions with very light resistance makes the treatment even more effective. However, this claim has yet to be scientifically tested. This project, a randomised controlled trial, aims to determine whether a second weekly session is beneficial. Chronic LBP patients consulting a physiotherapist will be divided into three groups: a once per week lumbar extension training group, a twice per week group, and a control group. Controls will not perform lumbar extension training, but will continue to receive their normal treatment. Interventions will last twelve weeks, and lumbar extension strength, range of motion and self-reported LBP will be measured before and after. This project will provide very useful information regarding the effectiveness of two commonly-recommended lumbar extension treatment protocols, enabling clinicians to further refine a treatment that delivers outstanding clinical results.

  • The development of a data logger to evaluate patient usage of TENS machines.
    Dr Paul Watson, University of Leicester
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) is commonly used in the management of back pain. There is controversy about the effectiveness of the treatment. One major criticism of previous research is that TENS as used in research may not be the correct frequency and electrical output that is needed for pain control. Also it is not adequately monitored, to see if what is prescribed is actually carried out by the participants. Clinically some patients do find TENS effective in managing their pain and continue to use it. There is very little research into how these patients use their TENS machine and how they are using the machine and which settings they find useful.

We will develop a data logging device which will fit to a standard TENS machine to monitor usage. This will monitor all the characteristics of the machine’s output without compromising the function. This device will enable researchers and clinicians to monitor accurately patient usage of TENS. This will improve research into TENS, enable clinicians to monitor patient adherence to treatment and identify patient preferred output parameters in patients who find TENS an effective modality for the treatment of pain.

  • Development of an online educational tool to improve the knowledge and problem-solving skills of primary care professionals in acute low back pain
    Dr Kieran Walsh, BMJ Learning
Acute low back pain is common and patients usually attend primary care professionals as a first line. But at BMJ Learning we get frequent reports from such professionals that they feel they do not have enough education in this area. They also often report that too much of the education that they receive is passive and not sufficiently targeted at their needs. We propose a research project to see if an interactive online educational tool can help primary care professionals to increase their knowledge and skills in this area.