Abstract

Tim Dries53559, Jan Willem van Der Windt53560*, Wouter Akkerman53561, Leen Nugteren53562, Marco Toor53564 and Bram Hentenaar53565

Objective: Back problems (dorsopathies) are one of the most common locomotor system conditions. Back problems are usually categorised as specific and non-specific back complaints. Specific causes for back problems are hardly ever identified, approximately 90% are non-specific. Back problems lead to pain and reduced functioning. Important symptoms of non-specific back problems are diffuse, nagging pain and reduced physical functioning when carrying out daily activities. The aim of this article is to discuss the results, as reported by the patients, of the current conservative therapeutic treatment of non-specific low back complaints with the use of an orthopaedic corset.

Materials and methods: Patient Reported Outcome Measurement (PROM) study of 677 patients on the effectiveness of wearing an orthopaedic corset in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain was done. Patients with low back pain using corset were asked to complete a questionnaire about the effectiveness of the brace after wearing it for 3 weeks. Primary outcome measure was mobility assessed using an ordinal scale with and without the use of the corset. Secondary outcome measures were pain symptoms and overall daily functioning.

Results: The results demonstrated a 67% improvement in overall daily functioning (positive improvement), and 59% of the respondents reported a reduction in pain. Mobility improved significantly; the group who were only able to walk at home was reduced by 67%, the group who were able to walk to the local shop increased by 72%, and the group who once again were able to go for long walks actually doubled.

Conclusion: The results of this PROM study show that the use of an orthopaedic corset seems to serve as an appropriate joint support, offers pain relief and freedom of movement, and should be considered as a useful non-surgical treatment method for patients with chronic non-specific low back pain.