A new study released today supports that continuous low-level heat wrap therapy (CLHT) can significantly reduce acute low back pain and improve functional outcomes in patients who use CLHT with exercise as compared to those who do not. The results of the study were presented today at the 2005 Annual Meeting of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.

Restorative exercise and physical therapy are common modalities for treating acute low back pain. But little is known about the additive effects of a combination treatment of palliative processes such as CLHT with exercise in acute low back pain. However, earlier clinical studies have shown that CLHT can reduce muscle and joint pain better than the oral analgesics, acetaminophen and ibuprofen.

“This is the first time we found that subjects who exercised with CLHT had 70% less lower back pain, 139% greater reduction in disability and 95% improvement in functional ability as compared to subjects who exercised without CLHT.,” said John Mayer, Ph.D., Director of Research at U.S. Spine & Sport Foundation. “Simply wearing a portable heat wrap in conjunction with exercise cut pain and disability approximately in half.”

Reference - Medical News Today, U.S. Spine & Sport Foundation

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