Chronic nonspecific low back pain is a frequent clinical condition affecting the general population and influencing disability level and quality of life. We performed a single-blinded, randomized, and controlled study to compare the effectiveness of manual pressure release (MPR) and electrical neuromodulation (ENM) treatments in the management of chronic low back pain. There were 20 patients with chronic low back pain randomly assigned to 6 treatment sessions with either technique. Both groups were treated for 2 days a week for 3 weeks. Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) were identified and skin conductance, pressure-pain threshold, postural changes, and the Oswestry Disability Index were assessed before and after each treatment session, along with the protocol-end data compared against the baseline data in each group. We found an outstanding and about equal deactivation of MTrPs from pre- to post-treatment in both groups, reducing disability in patients with chronic low back pain. The study highlights the ENM as a reliable tool for the evaluation of MTrPs, given a high agreement with the MPR. The effect on the neuromuscular condition of treating the "key trigger points" found in this study advances the knowledge of medical rehabilitation.
Keywords: Electrical neuromodulation; Low back pain; Manual pressure release therapy; Myofascial trigger points; Rehabilitation; Skin receptor stimulation.