Effectiveness of High-Frequency Diathermy Treatment on Pain Control in Nonsymptomatic Participants With Iliopsoas Tightness

Abstract

Both iliopsoas (IL) and quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle tightness are associated with lower back pain, which limit activities of daily life, such as squatting and walking. High-frequency diathermy (HFD) treatment generates heat as a result of molecular vibrations in deep soft tissues. HFD increases blood flow and tissue flexibility following muscle relaxation, and improves pain thresholds by lessening pain and facilitating maximum muscle stretch without destruction. We examined the effectiveness of HFD therapy on pain in the IL and QL in nonsymptomatic participants with IL tightness. A convenience sample of 15 nonsymptomatic participants with IL tightness ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] years) was recruited, based on participants obtaining a positive value on the Thomas test. The treatment was applied to each muscle (IL and QL) for 15[Formula: see text]min: 5[Formula: see text]min of capacitive mode was applied, and 10[Formula: see text]min of resistive mode was subsequently applied using the WINBACK tool. The whole participants were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Clinical variables contained visual analog scale (VAS) scores. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze the VAS scores, to determine whether HFD influenced pain control. The alpha value was set at 0.05. A significant reduction in IL and QL pain was observed when HFD was applied to participants ([Formula: see text]). Our findings offer therapeutic proof that HFD is effective in controlling IL and QL pain in participants with IL tightness.