Chinese Massage Combined with Herbal Ointment for Athletes with Nonspecific Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Table 2
Changes in primary and secondary outcomes.*
Variable
Mean change from baseline (95% CI)
Between-group difference (95% CI)
Experimental group ()
Control group ()
Experimental group versus control group
value§
Sensory scores†
M2
−1.91 (−2.64 to −1.18)
−2.43 (−3.09 to −1.77)
0.53 (−0.03 to 1.09)
0.070
M3
−7.11 (−7.87 to −6.35)
−5.87 (−6.72 to −5.02)
−1.24 (−2.09 to −0.39)
0.005
M4
−6.53 (−7.37 to −5.69)
−5.07 (−5.84 to −4.30)
−1.46 (−2.41 to −0.51)
0.003
M5
−5.17 (−6.09 to −4.25)
−4.29 (−5.18 to −3.40)
−0.88 (−2.11 to 0.35)
0.168
Affective scores†
M2
−1.36 (−1.79 to −0.93)
−1.13 (−1.50 to −0.76)
−0.23 (−0.67 to 0.21)
0.290
M3
−6.34 (−6.68 to −6.00)
−3.20 (−3.74 to −2.66)
−3.14 (−3.67 to −2.61)
<0.001
M4
−6.11 (−6.48 to −5.74)
−2.82 (−3.34 to −2.30)
−3.29 (−3.84 to −2.74)
<0.001
M5
−5.36 (−5.82 to −4.90)
−2.53 (−3.10 to −1.96)
−2.83 (−3.54 to −2.12)
<0.001
Total scores†
M2
−3.27 (−4.22 to −2.32)
−3.56 (−4.49 to −2.63)
0.29 (−0.60 to 1.18)
0.524
M3
−13.46 (−14.43 to −12.49)
−9.07 (−10.39 to −7.75)
−4.39 (−5.61 to −3.17)
<0.001
M4
−12.64 (−13.74 to −11.54)
−7.89 (−9.11 to −6.67)
−4.75 (−6.09 to −3.41)
<0.001
M5
−10.53 (−11.78 to −9.28)
−6.82 (−8.21 to −5.43)
−3.71 (−5.48 to −1.94)
<0.001
VAS scores‡
M2
−1.26 (−1.60 to −0.92)
−1.18 (−1.55 to −0.81)
−0.07 (−0.36 to 0.22)
0.628
M3
−3.73 (−4.05 to −3.41)
−3.09 (−3.48 to −2.70)
−0.64 (−1.04 to −0.24)
0.002
M4
−3.40 (−3.77 to −3.03)
−2.74 (−3.13 to −2.35)
−0.66 (−1.13 to −0.19)
0.007
M5
−2.73 (−3.10 to −2.36)
−2.31 (−2.77 to −1.85)
−0.42 (−1.03 to 0.19)
0.181
RS¶
M2
1.02 (0.53 to 1.51)
0.93 (0.43 to 1.43)
−0.09 (−0.46 to 0.28)
0.632
M3
4.62 (4.11 to 5.13)
3.58 (3.02 to 4.14)
−1.04 (−1.76 to −0.32)
0.005
M4
4.32 (3.81 to 4.83)
3.03 (2.46 to 3.60)
−1.29 (−2.03 to −0.55)
0.001
M5
3.36 (2.77 to 3.95)
2.70 (2.11 to 3.29)
−0.66 (−1.48 to 0.16)
0.117
MVC¶
M2
−0.29 (−0.64 to 0.06)
−0.14 (−0.45 to 0.17)
0.15 (−0.08 to 0.38)
0.212
M3
−0.60 (−0.93 to −0.27)
−0.64 (−0.99 to −0.29)
−0.04 (−0.26 to 0.18)
0.700
M4
−0.71 (−1.04 to −0.38)
−0.79 (−1.11 to −0.47)
−0.08 (−0.33 to 0.17)
0.492
M5
−0.78 (−1.10 to −0.46)
−0.91 (−1.22 to −0.60)
−0.13 (−0.40 to 0.14)
0.328
*All values are means with the 95% confidence intervals (CI). M2: immediately after the first intervention; M3: immediately after the last intervention; M4: one month after the last intervention; M5: three months after the last intervention. § values were calculated with repeated measures analysis of variance. †The Chinese Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (C-SFMPQ) consists of 15 descriptors (11 sensory; 4 affective). Each descriptor is rated on an intensity scale (0 to 3) with the higher scores indicating greater pain. ‡Visual analogue scale (VAS, rang 0 to 10) with higher scores indicating greater pain. ¶The local muscle stiffness was tested during a relaxed state (RS) or a maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) by Myotonometer with higher scores indicating smaller stiffness.
