This study shows about 1/3 days off for sickness in the training groups compared with the control group and lower pain during the last week of the study. The tendency is also clear that in regards to these parameters a better effect is seen in those training twice daily compared to those training once daily. This dose-response effect is supportive of the inversion therapy as the main causal factor.
A positive effect was also seen on the pain level in patients with neck/shoulder pain. The treatment effect meant a 50% improvement of the pain.
It should be emphasized that in many parameters, especially the mobility measurements, no effect was seen. Also, this preliminary report does not include more complex statistical analysis that also needs to be performed.
Trollhättan, Sweden. Contact-persons: Jeanette Soprani, Ann Fager.
Background Within the community of Trollhättan a project for coordinated rehabilitation is run since January 1, 1993, named the Carpe Diem Project. The principal is the different authorities of the Local Coordination Group: The national social insurance service, the employment exchange office The healthcare authority in Göta-Älvdalen and the Community of Trollhättan, Within the frame of Carpe Diem an ongoing project is running using Mastercare - The Swedish Back Care System where particulary patients with neck, shoulder and back problems have been included in the study. It has also been shown that patients with knee-joint-arthroses have gained a considerable improvement regarding pain-relief, locomotive faculty and improved quality of life.
Aim of the Project:That within the frame of Carpe Diem find an easy form of treatment for persons with knee-jont-arthroses.
That by relief of pain delay or avoid knee-joint-plastics (surgery).
That by the relief of pain also raise the quality of life and reduce the number of reported sick-days with at lest 50%.
That 80% of the persons included in the study, after a 20-week-period will be able to increase their walking distance capacity with 50% without feeling pain.
That at least 80% experience that restrictions in daily life caused by pain, are reduced with 50%
Targetgroup: The target group consists of people in work active age, who are or are risking to be long-time-by diagnosed knee-joint-arthroses. The extent of arthroses can vary. These patients are mostly found at district- or company-doctors.
Methodology/disposition: 20 persons having arthroses in the knee-joint. Who are treated by their family- or company-doctor, are reported to Carpe Diem directly. The idea is that 2 - 5 of these have an arthroses so serve that they are ready for surgery. The patients are examined by physiotherapist before the training/treatment-period starts. The patient is given the number of introductions by the physiotherapist, that are necessary in order to feel safe and to be able to handle the Mastercare bench. Suitable movements are recommended by the physiotherapist. The patient fills up a training diary at every training occasion. There he states angle, time and experience. At the next appointment, after 2 weeks, the patient may receive new exercises to be added. The thought is that if the result is positive, the patient should be able to continue with the training. Even after the study. The Mastercare bench is available for buying or renting, but can also be used at Carpe Diem or at a number of workingplaces within the community.
Evaluation: The evaluation will be made from the investigationresults before and after the training period, regarding Pain Agility. Walking-distance capacity. Capacity to handle daily tasks. Number of days of reported illness. Etc.
Result per September 15, 1997. 5 of the patients taking part have completed their treatment. Below is the conclusion of these 5 persons on a VAS-scale.
Pain 4 of 5 are much better, of these 2 with complete relief. 1/5 experienced no change
Limitations in daily life caused by kneetroubles: 3 of 5 down to 0. 1.5. Before treatment 7.5 - 9-5.
Limitation in work: 3 of 5 down to 0. Before treatment 1.5 - 4.
Increase in walking distance: Increased in 4 of 5. Increase up to 1500 m. One person in the group can again walk in stairs and jog.
A big part of the study still remains to be done, but the tendency of the result up till now is very positive. Our experience is that today there is no other effective conservative treatment of knee-joint-arthroses.
Work Places in the City of Trollhättan, Sweden, Have Experienced the Daily Use of Mastercare - The Swedish Back Care System.
In 1992, Trollhättan "City Health", in conjunction with Mastercare AB/Nordic Health AB, performed a project in order to observe whether daily training o n the Mastercare table would affect the experience of pain in people with moderate problems from the movement apparatus. We were also interested in finding out whether the training would affect general well-being.
A Mastercare table was placed a 22 of the city’s work places in February, to be utilized daily by a total of 144 people during approximately three months. Each works place also had a contact person/instructor, who had been trained one-half day by staff from "City Health" and Mastercare AB/Nordic Back Health AB.
A total of 115 people (81%), from 19 work places, responded to all of the questions asked in this study. Of these, 60 used the table for at least 2 months.>
At the end of this project, the participants were asked to describe how the training had affected their neck/shoulder and lower back pain experiences, in accordance with a so called visual analogous scale. This evaluation included both pain intensity and problem frequency.
Totally, the participants indicated both neck/shoulder and lower back improvements. These subjective changes included both pain intensity and problem frequency.
Based on previous case descriptions and traction treatment of lower back pain, it was to be expected that lower back pain experiences would decrease. But it was somewhat unexpected that the participants also indicated fewer neck/shoulder problems.
Thus; results from this project indicate that training on the Mastercare table could be of value not only in the treatment of patients with lower back problems, but also when treating neck/shoulder pain. In order to further explore if this is the case, a new project will begin in 1993, to more specifically examine the effects of daily training on this table by patients with neck/shoulder problems.
Trollhättan, November 27, 1992.
Claes Lenngerd, M.D.
Company Physician.
Senior Consultant Svante Larsson, Divisional Manager at the Rehabilitation Medicine Department at The Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden:
"For several years the Rehabilitation Medicine Department has conducted quality ensured treatment and rehabilitation for patients with chronic lower back problems (of more than 3 months). Certain patients among the group are offered treatment with the Mastercare® Back-A-Traction®. In some cases we have allowed our patients to use the Mastercare® Back-A-Traction® for self treatment in their homes. The result has been very good in many cases.
An obvious benefit of this way of treatment is that the patient, on a regular basis, in combination with exercise/strength training is able to do self treatment in the home or at the work place".
The Karolinska Hospital is one of Sweden's largest university hospitals with about 7,000 employees and an annual treatment of more than half a million patients. This hospital is well-known throughout the world for its research.
A scientific study of Mastercare® Back-A-Traction® began in October 1999, comparing traditional physical therapy with traditional physical therapy using Mastercare® Back-A-Traction® as additional treatment. 50 people, randomly chosen, from the "lower back groups" at the Rehabilitation Medicine Department are using the Mastercare® Back-A-Traction® for self treatment in their homes in addition to the scheduled treatment program.