The Effects of Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Patients with Coccydynia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 10; no. 11; p. e0142475
• Main Authors: Lin, Shih-Feng, Chen, Yi-Jen, Tu, Hung-Pin, Lee, Chia-Ling, Hsieh, Ching-Lin, Wu, Wen-Lan, Chen, Chia-Hsin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 10.11.2015; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Back pain; Care and treatment; Disability Evaluation; Female; High-Energy Shock Waves - therapeutic use; Hospitals; Humans; Ligaments; Lithotripsy; Low Back Pain - therapy; Male; Medicine; Methods; Middle Aged; Pain; Pain Management; Pain Measurement; Patient outcomes; Patient Satisfaction; Patients; Physical therapy; Physical Therapy Modalities; Registration; Rehabilitation; Sacrococcygeal Region; Shock waves; Statistical analysis; Studies; Tendons; Therapy; Tissue engineering; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142475

Coccydynia is pain in the coccygeal region, and usually treated conservatively. Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) was incorporated as non-invasive treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions. However, the effects of ESWT on coccydynia are less discussed. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of ESWT on the outcomes of coccydynia. Patients were allocated to ESWT (n = 20) or physical modality (SIT) group (n = 21) randomly, and received total treatment duration of 4 weeks. The visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and self-reported satisfaction score were used to assess treatment effects. The VAS and ODI scores were significantly decreased after treatment in both groups, and the decrease in the VAS score was significantly greater in the ESWT group. The mean proportional changes in the ODI scores were greater in the ESWT group than in the SIT group, but the between-group difference was not statistically significant. The patients in the ESWT group had significantly higher subjective satisfaction scores than SIT group. We concluded that ESWT is more effective and satisfactory in reducing discomfort and disability caused by coccydynia than the use of physical modalities. Thus, ESWT is recommended as an alternative treatment option for patients with coccydynia. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02313324.