Deep Tissue Massage and Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs for Low Back Pain: A Prospective Randomized Trial

Table 1

Criteria for inclusion or exclusion.

Inclusion in the study	Exclusion from the study
Age range: 40–60 years old	Age range: <40 years old or age >60 years old
Pain lasting longer than 7 weeks (chronic)	Acute pain
VAS1 ≥ 25 mm of 100 mm	VAS1 < 25 mm of 100 mm
VAS2 ≥ 25 mm of 100 mm	VAS2 < 25 mm of 100 mm
Lack of excluding factors mentioned in the right column of the table	Injection of local anesthetic; Patients after surgical procedures around spine or in the abdominal area; Neurological signs present; Compression of spinal nerve root confirmed by specific imaging techniques: computer tomography, myelography, or magnetic resonance imaging; Other diagnostic techniques, for example, electromyography, venography; Diagnosis of; (i) metastasis,; (ii) vertebral fractures,; (iii) spondylolisthesis,; (iv) ankylosing spondylitis,; (v) increased temperature (fever),; (vi) pregnancy,; (vii) inflammatory and acute ailments
	Nonsteroid anti-inflammatory therapy during the last 3 months or strong analgesic therapy (opioid and stronger)
	Allergy to ingredients of nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs
Informed consent of the patient to take part in the study	Lack of informed consent of the patient to take part in the study