Key result
Adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy did not significantly improve back muscle endurance compared to exercise alone (p=0.418).
Why the study?
The study aimed to investigate the effects of adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy on back extensor muscle endurance in patients with mechanical chronic low back pain.
Does adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy improve back extensor muscle endurance in patients with mechanical chronic low back pain?
RCT (n=22)
randomized
Does adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy improve back extensor muscle endurance in patients with mechanical chronic low back pain?
Adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy for 2 weeks did not significantly improve back muscle endurance compared to exercise alone in patients with chronic low back pain.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
No between-group endurance difference detected; leaves open short-term adjunct potential in larger CLBP trials.
Background: This study aims to investigate the effects of adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) to exercise therapy on back extensor muscle endurance of patients with mechanical chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: A randomized controlled group study was conducted on 22 patients with mechanical CLBP aged 16-55. Participants were randomized into an exercise group (control) and an exercise with a tVNS group (experimental). The outcome was back extensor muscle endurance measured by the Biering Sorensen Test (BST), evaluated before and after 2 weeks of intervention Results: There was a significant improvement in pre-post evaluation in the intervention group (before: 40.30± 31.20 and after: 66.49±45.87, p<0.05), with a large effect size (Cohen’s d=0.918). No difference in pre-post evaluation in the control group (before: 58.18±50.75; after: 66.82±38.56; p>0.05) with a small effect size (Cohen’s d=0.414). There was no significant difference between the delta BST of the two groups (p=0.418). Conclusion: Our results suggest that no difference was found between the two groups. However, tVNS addition to exercise therapy showed beneficial effects potency on back muscle endurance of the experimental group in CLBP patients during a relatively short period in two weeks of intervention. Further research is needed to confirm the potential of tVNS therapy in CLBP.
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Kusumastuti et al. (2023) conducted an RCT in mechanical chronic low back pain (n=22). transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) added to exercise therapy vs. exercise therapy was evaluated on back extensor muscle endurance measured by the Biering Sorensen Test (BST) (p=0.418). Adding transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation to exercise therapy did not significantly improve back muscle endurance compared to exercise alone (p=0.418).
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