Whole-body electromyostimulation for the reduction of chronic, non-specific back pain in outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation.

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Non-specific chronic back pain (NSCBP) is the number one cause for years lived with disability (disability-adjusted life-years – DALYs). NSCBP is the globally leading chronic disease that forces more people out of their job, than diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, respiratory disease, asthma, and neoplasm together. Physical exercise is considered as being the most promising treatment method in various European and national guidelines. Particularly intense resistance and stabilization programs were considered as the most effective types of exercise to significant improve NSCBP. However, back pain patients often cite time limitations and kinesiophobia as the main reasons for their physical inactivity. In this context, the time-effective, joint-friendly and highly customizable whole-body electromyostimulation technology (WB-EMS) has been shown to be an effective alternative to conventional resistance exercise. Results of our corresponding proof of principle study funded by the DFG (project number 391510268) have been broadly disseminated and will be taken into account in the upcoming national guideline on low back pain. The aim of the present project is to adapt, implement and optimize our WB-EMS concept on NSCBP in an outpatient and in an inpatient rehabilitative setting. After this validation that is the subject of the present proposal, it is planned to integrate the WB-EMS concept more comprehensively into the care chain of chronic non-specific back pain on the basis of the data and experience gained in this project as well as the developed and validated tools.