Investigating the Effect of Traditional Persian Manual Technique on Pain and Disability in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial Publisher



Rezaipour MT ; Nejatbakhsh F ; Roohani Y ; Adelmehraban MS ; Abbassian A
Source: Advances in Integrative Medicine Published:2026

Abstract

Background and purpose: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a significant health issue that negatively affects quality of life. Given the high recurrence rate of CLBP and patients' reluctance to undergo invasive treatments, Persian Medicine offers a manual technique for pain management. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a Persian Medicine-based manual technique to treat patients with CLBP. Materials and methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed among 108 patients with CLBP referred to Tehran University of Medical Sciences outpatient clinic from July to December 2024. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups (using block randomization) to receive either Persian Medicine or a sham manual technique simulating the original technique. Each patient received the intervention in a single session, and pain severity and disability were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) at four time points. Data were analyzed using SPSS v16 software with repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: Half of the patients were male, with a mean age of 46.93 years. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics, except for age and marital status, which did not affect study outcomes. The intervention group significantly reduced pain severity (MD: −3.1, 95 %CI: −3.92 to −2.27) (P < 0.001) and improved RMDQ scores (P < 0.001) (MD: −4.72, 95 %CI: −6.52 to −2.91) with lower recurrence rate, compared to the sham group (MD: −0.3, 95 %CI: −0.92 to +0.32, and MD: −0.9, 95 %CI: −3.02 to +1.22, respectively). No adverse effects were reported. Conclusion: The Persian Medicine manual technique may be considered a complementary treatment for patients with CLBP, providing effective pain relief and improvement in disability. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd