The Effects of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients with Coccydynia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

PLoS One. 2015 Nov 10;10(11):e0142475. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142475. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Coccydynia is pain in the coccygeal region, and usually treated conservatively. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) was incorporated as non-invasive treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions. However, the effects of ESWT on coccydynia are less discussed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of ESWT on the outcomes of coccydynia. Patients were allocated to ESWT (n = 20) or physical modality (SIT) group (n = 21) randomly, and received total treatment duration of 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and self-reported satisfaction score were used to assess treatment effects. The VAS and ODI scores were significantly decreased after treatment in both groups, and the decrease in the VAS score was significantly greater in the ESWT group. The mean proportional changes in the ODI scores were greater in the ESWT group than in the SIT group, but the between-group difference was not statistically significant. The patients in the ESWT group had significantly higher subjective satisfaction scores than SIT group. We concluded that ESWT is more effective and satisfactory in reducing discomfort and disability caused by coccydynia than the use of physical modalities. Thus, ESWT is recommended as an alternative treatment option for patients with coccydynia.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02313324.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Disability Evaluation
  • Female
  • High-Energy Shock Waves / therapeutic use*
  • Humans
  • Low Back Pain / therapy*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pain Management
  • Pain Measurement
  • Patient Satisfaction*
  • Physical Therapy Modalities
  • Sacrococcygeal Region*
  • Treatment Outcome

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT02313324

Grants and funding

This work was supported by grants from Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital (Grant numbers: KMTTH-101-012, KMTTH-101-023 and KMTTH 102-010) and the National Science Council (Grant number: NSC 101-2314-B-037-002 -MY3), Taiwan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.