title: The effect of an acupressure backrest on pain and disability in office workers with chronic low back pain: A randomized, controlled study and patients' preferences.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated the effects of an acupoint-stimulating lumbar backrest on pain and disability in office workers who suffering from low back pain (LBP) as well as the preference influence on pain and disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-four participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one with no intervention (n=32) and another with 1 month of backrest use (n=32). An additional group (n=37) who wished to try 1 month of acupressure backrest were recruited to indicate the preference effect. Pain and disability were two key outcomes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant differences between control and randomized acupressure backrest groups were found at 2 week period for disability and at 4 weeks for pain after the backrest use. Also, significant differences were found in both groups for 3 month period with an increase of the treatment effect on pain and disability. Both control and randomized acupressure backrest groups showed greater improvement in pain and disability scores which were more than the minimal clinically important change (30% improvement for both outcomes). No significant difference was found for pain and disability between the randomized and preferred backrest groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggested 1-month of acupressure backrest use could improve LBP conditions. Preference was not a powerful moderator to the significant treatment effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: vnithima@chula.ac.th.
authors.forename: Nithima
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Purepong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: sirinant.bell@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sirinant
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Channak
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: lekby@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Sujitra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Boonyong
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: tpremtip@chula.ac.th.
authors.forename: Premtip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Thaveeratitham
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. Electronic address: prawit.j@chula.ac.th.
authors.forename: Prawit
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janwantanakul
mesh_terms: D019050:Acupressure / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acupressure; Backrest; Low back pain