title: Short-term effect of superficial heat treatment on paraspinal muscle activity, stature recovery, and psychological factors in patients with chronic low back pain.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) would have reduced paraspinal muscle activity when wearing a heat wrap and that this would be associated with increased stature recovery and short-term improvements in psychological factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A within-subject repeated-measures design. Muscle activity and stature recovery were assessed before and after a 40-minute unloading period, both without a heat wrap and after 2 hours of wear. Questionnaires were completed after both sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital physiotherapy department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with CLBP (n=24; age, 48.0±9.0 y; height, 166.6±7.3 cm; body mass, 80.2±12.9 kg) and asymptomatic participants (n=11; age, 47.9±15.4 y; height, 168.7±11.6 cm; body mass, 69.3±13.1 kg) took part in the investigation. Patients on the waiting list for 2 physiotherapist-led rehabilitation programs, and those who had attended the programs during the previous 2 years, were invited to participate.
  
  
  METHODS
  Superficial heat wrap.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paraspinal muscle activity, stature recovery over a 40-minute unloading period, pain, disability, and psychological factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For the CLBP patients only, the heat wrap was associated with a reduction in nonnormalized muscle activity and a positive short-term effect on self-report of disability, pain-related anxiety, catastrophizing, and self-efficacy. Changes in muscle activity were correlated with changes in stature recovery, and both were also correlated to changes in psychological factors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Use of the heat wrap was associated with a decrease in muscle activity and a short-term improvement in certain aspects of well-being for the CLBP patients. The results confirm the link between the biomechanical and psychological outcome measures.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Performance Research, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK. s.lewis@mmu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Sandra E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Paul S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Steve R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Woby
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hindle
authors.forename: Neil E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D058443:Catastrophization; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004576:Electromyography; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D020377:Self Efficacy