Possibilities of using the neurofeedback technique in the complex therapy of acute nonspecific neck and lower back pain.

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Background. Neurofeedback (NFB) is a neuromodulating technique that allows a patient to arbitrarily modulate brain activity to treat various neurological conditions. There are some studies which showed neurofeedback therapy (NFT) can be effective in patients with neuropathic pain. The prevalence of acute nonspecific neck and lower back pain ranges between 71% and 84% in the general population of developed countries. Effect of NFT on amelioration of these clinical symptoms is not well understood. Objective. This clinical study was aimed to evaluate the effect of NFT in patients with nonspecific neck and lower back pain. Methods. A total of 60 patients with acute nonspecific vertebrogenic pain took part in the study. They were randomly allocated in two groups (intervention and control). The mean and standard error of the mean of participants’ age were (50.7±2.5) years and (50.7±2.2) years in intervention and control groups, respectively. The intervention group participated in 10 sessions of NFT and took basic therapy. The control group took only basic therapy. The NFB protocol consisted of upregulating the alpha band (8—12 Hz) power from electrodes location in occipital brain areas for 25 min. The output measures were pain and alpha index before and after NFB. Self-reported visual analog scale pain scores were determined before and after therapy. Results. There was a significantly larger decrease in pain intensity (p<0.05) in the intervention group compared to the control group. Interestingly, pain correlated negatively with alpha rhythm index. Conclusion. Neurofeedback is a neuromodulatory technique that can be self-administered for acute nonspecific neck and lower back pain. A significant reduction in pain was related to increase of alpha band. These findings may point the importance of alpha power in pain in nonspecific pain.

Keywords:

acute nonspecific pain

neurofeedback

electroencephalography

alpha rhythm

alpha training

neck pain

lower back pain

Authors:

Bykovskii P.V.

Kirov State Medical University, Kirov, Russia

Sherman M.A.

Kirovskaia gorodskaia klinicheskaia bol'nitsa #1

Received:

12.01.2020

Accepted:

26.01.2020

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