Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most costly diseases in the developed world. This study aimed to investigate the effects of underwater traction therapy on chronic low back pain. The primary objective was to prove that underwater traction therapy has favorable effects on LBP. Our secondary objective was to evaluate whether it also leads to improvement in the quality of life. This is a prospective, multicenter, follow-up study. A total of 176 patients with more than 3 months of low back pain enrolled from outpatient clinics were randomized into three groups: underwater weight bath traction therapy and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); weight bath; and only NSAIDs. The following parameters were measured before, right after, and 9 weeks after the 3-week therapy: levels of low back pain in rest and during activity were tested using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire, and the EuroQol-5D-5L Questionnaire. The VAS levels improved significantly ( p < 0.05) in both underwater weight bath traction therapy groups by the end of the treatment, whereas the improvement in the third group was not statistically significant. Furthermore, the improvements measured in the groups receiving traction therapy were persistent during the follow-up period. There were no significant changes in the Oswestry Index or the EuroQol-5D-5L without VAS parameters in any of the groups. Based on our results, for patients suffering from LBP pain who underwent underwater weight bath traction therapy, there were favorable impacts on the pain levels at rest or during activity. Clinical trial registration ID: NCT03488498, April 5, 2018

中文翻译：

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水下牵引治疗慢性腰痛效果的多中心随机对照随访研究

腰痛 (LBP) 是发达国家中最昂贵的疾病之一。本研究旨在探讨水下牵引疗法对慢性腰痛的影响。主要目的是证明水下牵引疗法对 LBP 有良好的效果。我们的次要目标是评估它是否也能改善生活质量。这是一项前瞻性、多中心、随访研究。从门诊招募的176名腰痛3个月以上的患者随机分为三组：水下负重浴牵引疗法和非甾体抗炎药（NSAIDs）；体重浴；并且只有非甾体抗炎药。在为期 3 周的治疗之前、之后和之后 9 周测量了以下参数：使用视觉模拟量表 (VAS)、Oswestry 腰部残疾问卷和 EuroQol-5D-5L 问卷测试休息和活动期间的腰痛水平。到治疗结束时，两个水下负重浴牵引治疗组的 VAS 水平显着改善（p < 0.05），而第三组的改善无统计学意义。此外，在接受牵引治疗的组中测量的改善在随访期间持续存在。在任何组中，没有 VAS 参数的 Oswestry 指数或 EuroQol-5D-5L 没有显着变化。根据我们的结果，对于接受水下负重浴牵引治疗的 LBP 疼痛患者，休息或活动时的疼痛水平有有利影响。