title: A study of therapeutic ultrasound and exercise treatment for muscle fatigue in patients with chronic non specific low back pain: a preliminary report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of continuous ultrasound (US) plus exercise on the endurance of paravertebral muscles of patients with chronic non specific low back pain (CNSLBP).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this pilot, pretest-posttest study, 22 patients with CNSLBP participated. Patients received 10 sessions of treatment, including continuous US plus exercise therapy, over a period of four consecutive weeks. Median frequency slopes of Iliocostalis and Multifidus muscles as well as holding time during Biering-Sorensen test were measured using surface electromyography. In addition, function and pain were measured using Functional Rating Index (FRI) questionnaire and VAS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five females and 15 males with a mean age of 31.7 years completed the treatment. Descriptive data showed a decrease of 0.01 and 0.02 mean in median frequency slope of right and left Iliocostalis respectively and a mean of 0.08 decrease for both right and left Multifidus muscles. Endurance time increased 1.8 seconds mean. Both function (17%) and pain (24%) improved post treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Larger population studies in the context of high quality, randomized clinical trial are needed to validate the results.
authors: Department of Physiotherapy, Rehabilitation School, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. s_ebadi@razi.tums.ac.ir
authors: Safoora
authors: S
authors: Ebadi
authors: Noureddin Nakhostin
authors: NN
authors: Ansari
authors: Soofia
authors: S
authors: Naghdi
authors: Ehsan
authors: E
authors: Fallah
authors: Darioush M
authors: DM
authors: Barzi
authors: Shohre
authors: S
authors: Jalaei
authors: Hosein
authors: H
authors: Bagheri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D059350:Chronic Pain; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue; D010807:Physical Endurance; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy