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Over half of women after giving birth have low back pain (LBP), however, LBP is often accepted as a normal part of postpartum. Unsolved low back pain undoubtedly affects women's physical health and may be negatively affect their psychological health. This study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of laser acupuncture therapy (LAT) in postpartum LBP. Postpartum women with LBP admitted at a postpartum care center were recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group or the control group. The participants in the intervention group underwent 10 sessions/2 weeks of LAT and received standard obstetric care. The participants in the control group only received standard obstetric care. Primary outcome measurements were Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain and salivary cortisol values. Secondary outcome measurements were Chinese versions of the Roland and Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) version 2.1and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA group | Experimental | The participants in LAT group underwent 10 sessions of LAT over 2 weeks, using a gallium aluminum arsenide Laser Pen. The participants in the LAT group received 0.375 J of energy at each of the following acupoints bilaterally: BL23 (Shenshu, B2), BL25 (Dachangshu, B2), BL26 (Guanyuanshu, B2), BL40 (Weizhong, B2) and SP6 (Sanyinjiao, B2). |
|
| Control group | No Intervention | The participants of the control group received standard obstetric care. |
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laser acupuncture treatment | Procedure | Laser acupuncture therapy (LAT) is a noninvasive technique that involves stimulation of traditional acupoints with low intensity, non thermal laser irradiation. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Change in visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain | record VAS score for pain before intervention and 2 weeks after intervention | 2 weeks |
| Change in salivary cortisol values | record Salivary cortisol values before intervention and 2 weeks after intervention | 2 weeks |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) | The RMDQ is a self-administered disability measure in which greater levels of disability are reflected by higher numbers on a 24-point scale. | 2 weeks |
| Chinese version of Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Chun-Ting Liu | Department of Chinese Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital | Kaohsiung City | 833 | Taiwan |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D017116 | Low Back Pain |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001416 | Back Pain |
| D010146 | Pain |
| D009461 | Neurologic Manifestations |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
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The ODI includes 1 item on pain and 9 items on physical activity of daily living (personal care, lifting, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, sex life, social life, and traveling). The total scores ranged from 0 to 40, higher scores indicated greater limitation of physical activities.
| 2 weeks |
| Perceived stress (PSS) | PSS containes 7 items with positive subscales and 7 items with negative subscales. Each item is rated from 0 to 4 (0 = never, 4 = very often). | 2 weeks |
| D013568 |
| Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |