Artikel
The dynamic spinal traction system "GammaSwing" used during inpatient rehabilitation in case of Low Back Pain
Suche in Medline nach
Autoren
-
Werner Kullich
- Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster for Rheumatology, Balneology and Rehabilitation, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation, Saalfelden, Austria
-
Markus Arnold
- Ludwig Boltzmann Cluster for Rheumatology, Balneology and Rehabilitation, Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rehabilitation, Saalfelden, Austria; Rehabilitation Center / Special Hospital of the Austrian Pension Insurance Company, Saalfelden, Austria
-
Ferdinand Gundolf
- Orthopedic specialist, Kufstein, Austria
-
Helmut Schwann
- Rehabilitation Center / Special Hospital of the Austrian Pension Insurance Company, Saalfelden, Austria
-
Erich Mur
- University Clinic for Internal Medicine, Department Physical Medicine, Innsbruck, Austria; Institute for Orthopedic Physiotherapy, UMIT, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| Veröffentlicht: | 24. Oktober 2011 |
|---|
Gliederung
Text
Objective: Multidisciplinary rehabilitation concepts meeting ICF-criteria can demonstrably improve pain and function of patients with Low Back Pain. In the rehabilitation programmes usually active as well as passive therapies are implemented, such as traction treatment.
The “GammaSwing” is a dynamic traction system for treating spinal problems. The patient can be gradually pulled up to a free-hanging position, held by specially upholstered slings which are fixed on the lower leg. The traction can be combined with a vibration frequency from up to 100 swings per minute.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness and the compatibility of the traction device GammaSwing with the rehabilitation programmes for patients suffering from Low Back Pain.
Materials/Methods: During a three-week inpatient rehabilitation stay all of the 58 included patients (46 male, 12 female, age 54.7 ± 10.1 years) received a standard treatment programme composed of active exercise therapy (hydrotherapy included), electrotherapy, thermotherapy, massage, back training, and relaxation techniques. Patients received randomized 6 therapy units with the GammaSwing system (Grissemann company, Kufstein, Austria) or the corresponding back massage units. This 3-phase treatment – lifting of pelvis and lumbar spine, shoulderstand, and free-hanging position, each of them for 5 minutes – was combined with an oscillating movement of 60 swings per minute.
The studied parameters were pain at rest and on motion using a ten-part visual analogue scale, the Roland & Morris Disability Questionnaire (a multidimensional assessment of pain-induced disability), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (regarding the back pain induced sleep disorders).
Results: During the inpatient rehabilitation both therapy groups showed improvements regarding all determined parameters. In particular the pain on motion of the patients treated with the traction therapy improved significantly from 5.5 to 2.2 (in comparison the massage group: 4.5 to 2.5). The finger-to-floor distance also diminished more in the GammaSwing group (13.5 to 9.3 cm) than in the comparison group (13.3 to 10.3 cm). This difference also was significant between the groups. In the course of the therapy there occurred no severe undesired side-effects.
Conclusion: Essential improvements of the complaints of Low-Back-Pain patients can be attained by an intensive multimodal rehabilitation programme. Integration of the GammaSwing system in these programmes was well tolerated by the patients and resulted in beneficial supplementary effects, especially regarding pain on motion as well as the mobility of the spine measured by the finger-to-floor distance.
The circumstance that even within the framework of widespread conceptualized complex rehabilitation programmes supplementary positive effects can be demonstrated for the application of the GammaSwing argues for the use of this dynamic traction system in the rehabilitation of Low Back Pain.
