Additional effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation associated with vertebral joint mobilization on musculoskeletal variables of individuals with low back pain

Abstract

Low back pain (LBP) is a musculoskeletal complaint that can be defined as pain or discomfort referred to the lower part of the spine, between the last thoracic vertebra and the first sacral vertebra, above the upper gluteal line, and which may or may not radiate to the lower limbs. Highly prevalent, it affects about 84% of the adult population at some point in life, being classified as acute when it lasts up to 6 weeks, subacute when from 6 to 12 weeks and chronic if for more than 12 weeks 2. LBP is a public health problem, as it is related to functional disability, decreased quality of life, social and economic losses, both indirect, as it leads to absenteeism, withdrawal from work activities and/or disability retirement, and direct, due to public health costs with medical care and procedures related to LBP and its biopsychosocial consequences 3,4. The etiology of low back pain is complex and multifactorial, and can be specific when due to a known pathology or factor, and nonspecific when the causes are inevitable 5. However, they are often associated with an imbalance between the effort required to perform the activities and the insufficient capacity of the musculoskeletal system to do so 6, as well as other agents of mechanical origin, such as disc, joint, muscle, ligament and nerve alterations.