Abstract

Background: Nonspecific low back pain is the most common disease in the Netherlands and has a prevalence of over 2.500.000 patients. The last decade, vibration plates are evaluated as influencing muscle tuning and soft tissues of the lumbar spine. The Krullaards Perfect Reset (KPR) plate as treatment plate with vibration function has not been investigated yet.
Objective: To evaluate if an intervention with the Krullaards Perfect Reset treatment plate (KPR) could decrease iliac crest height difference, as measured using a PALM meter, to a difference smaller than 0.5 centimeters in patients with nonspecific low back pain.
Study design: Double-blind randomized controlled trial
Methods: 26 participants with a non-specific low back pain history were randomly assigned to intervention or control group. Following pre-treatment measurements of anatomic leg length difference (LLD), clinical LLD, iliac crest height and pelvic torsion, participants had to step onto the KPR or a placebo plate. After treatment measurements on clinical LLD, iliac crest height and pelvic torsion were repeated.
Results: Significant results were found for changes in iliac crest height difference after treatment with the KPR vibration plate (0.4 centimetres) and control group comparison (0.7 centimetres), p=0.02. In addition, a large effect size of 0.85 was seen in favour of the intervention group. No significant results were found for changes in clinical LLD and pelvic torsion.
Conclusion: This proof of concept study demonstrates a decrease of iliac crest height difference, as measured using a PALM meter, to a difference smaller than 0.5 centimeters in patients with nonspecific low back pain using the KPR treatment plate based on the novel concept of combining vibrations and movement to influence pelvic muscle tuning

Keywords: Low back pain; Posture; Vibration; Leg length inequality