Effectiveness of Biomodulator in Treating Chronic Pain and Reducing Medications

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Name: Ann Nayback-Beebe

Rank: LTC

Organization: The Geneva Foundation

Performance Site: San Antonio Military Medical Center, San Antonio, TX

Year Published: 2012

Abstract Status: Project Completed

Abstract

With the protracted conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of military service members have sustained musculoskeletal injuries, and subsequently, have developed chronic pain syndromes.  In fact, chronic low back pain (LBP) is one of the most frequently self-reported problems in theater and among returning service members. Over-reliance on the use of narcotic and non-narcotic medications to manage chronic pain and an increase in reported cases of narcotic abuse, side-effects, and overdose due to poly-pharmacy in injured service members, spurred recommendations by the Army Pain Task Force to study non-pharmacoloic based complementary and alternative therapies to treat chronic pain and its associated co-morbidities.  Therefore, the aims of this study are to examine the effectiveness adjunctive treatment with Tennant Biomodulator when compared to usual care at (1) reducing symptoms of chronic LBP; (2) reducing use of narcotic and non-narcotic analgesics; (3) reducing symptoms of chronic LBP associated co-morbidities (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, poor sleep quality, disability) and (4) improving reported mental and physical well-being in active duty service members with chronic LBP.  This is a randomized controlled, single-blinded study of a sample of 70 active duty service members with chronic LBP who will be randomly allocated to receive either usual care (medication management and back stretching/strengthening) or usual care plus the Biomodulator.  Data collection will occur at pretreatment, post-treatment (4 weeks), and 1 month follow-up using the following instruments: Demographic Questionnaire; 11-point Pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS-11) Pain Medication and Treatment Log; Patient Health Questionaire, Depression (PHQ-9) and Anxiety (GAD-7) Modules, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, Oswestry LBP Disability Questionairre; Post-traumatic Stress Checklist-Military Version; and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-12v2). Data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, two-factor generalized linear mixed model  (treatment, time) with repeated measures on one factor (time), followed by two-tailed, non-parametric rank based tests corrected for multiple comparisons.

 

Final Report available on NTRL: https://ntrl.ntis.gov/NTRL/dashboard/searchResults/titleDetail/PB2017101...