Is Interferential Current Before Pilates Exercises More Effective Than Placebo in Patients With Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain?: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether interferential current (IFC) before Pilates exercises is more effective than placebo in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.

DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial, with a blinded assessor, and 6 months follow-up.

SETTING: Clinic of a school of physical therapy.

PARTICIPANTS: The random sample consisted of patients (N=148) of both sexes, with age between 18 and 80 years and chronic nonspecific low back pain. In addition, participants were recruited by disclosure of the treatment in the media.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were allocated into 2 groups: active IFC + Pilates or placebo IFC + Pilates. In the first 2 weeks, patients were treated for 30 minutes with active or placebo IFC. In the following 4 weeks, 40 minutes of Pilates exercises were added after the application of the active or placebo IFC. A total of 18 sessions were offered during 6 weeks.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measures were pain intensity, pressure pain threshold, and disability measured at 6 weeks after randomization.

RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups for pain (0.1 points; 95% confidence interval, -0.9 to 1.0 points), pressure pain threshold (25.3kPa; 95% confidence interval, -4.4 to 55.0kPa), and disability (0.4 points; 95% confidence interval, -1.3 to 2.2). However, there was a significant difference between baseline and 6-week and 6-month follow-ups in the intragroup analysis for all outcomes (P<.05), except pressure pain threshold in the placebo IFC + Pilates group.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that active IFC before Pilates exercise is not more effective than placebo IFC with respect to the outcomes assessed in patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain.