Objective: Chronic non-specific lower back pain (cNSLBP) is a prevalent and disabling condition, imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden due to high healthcare costs and productivity losses, with limited accessible and effective long-term treatment options. Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy (ATT) is a promising, non-drug intervention that leverages innovative technical advances to provide multimodal pain relief, offering accessibility and low-cost delivery. This study tested ATT for immediate pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP in a single-session, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Forty participants with cNSLBP were randomly assigned to receive either active ATT (n=20) or control ATT (n=20) in a 40-minute session. The active device applied heated cylindrical rollers along the spine, using far-infrared heat and mechanical tissue stimulation tailored to spinal alignment. In the control condition, the device used minimal mechanical therapy intensity without heat, targeting only the cervical area to avoid lower back therapeutic effects. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in pain intensity (primary outcome) via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P100), alongside secondary outcomes assessing pain characteristics, anxiety, and functional mobility.
Results: The active ATT group showed a significant reduction in pain on the VAS-P100, with an average decrease of 46.8%, compared to 17.0% in the control group. Participants in the active group also reported significantly greater subjective pain relief (p = 7.88e-05). Secondary outcomes demonstrated significant improvements in lumbar flexibility (Modified-Modified Schober Test, MMST) for the active ATT group compared to the control group (p = 0.0031). No adverse events were reported, and all participants tolerated the intervention well.
Conclusions: A single session of ATT provides immediate, significant pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP, supporting its potential as a safe, non-invasive option for managing chronic back pain. Future studies should examine the long-term benefits of repeated ATT sessions and explore mechanistic insights into thermo-mechanical stimulation’s effects on pain and function.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>Objective:</strong> Chronic non-specific lower back pain (cNSLBP) is a prevalent and disabling condition, imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden due to high healthcare costs and productivity losses, with limited accessible and effective long-term treatment options. Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy (ATT) is a promising, non-drug intervention that leverages innovative technical advances to provide multimodal pain relief, offering accessibility and low-cost delivery. This study tested ATT for immediate pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP in a single-session, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.</p> <p><strong>Methods:</strong> Forty participants with cNSLBP were randomly assigned to receive either active ATT (n=20) or control ATT (n=20) in a 40-minute session. The active device applied heated cylindrical rollers along the spine, using far-infrared heat and mechanical tissue stimulation tailored to spinal alignment. In the control condition, the device used minimal mechanical therapy intensity without heat, targeting only the cervical area to avoid lower back therapeutic effects. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in pain intensity (primary outcome) via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P100), alongside secondary outcomes assessing pain characteristics, anxiety, and functional mobility.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> The active ATT group showed a significant reduction in pain on the VAS-P100, with an average decrease of 46.8%, compared to 17.0% in the control group. Participants in the active group also reported significantly greater subjective pain relief (p = 7.88e-05). Secondary outcomes demonstrated significant improvements in lumbar flexibility (Modified-Modified Schober Test, MMST) for the active ATT group compared to the control group (p = 0.0031). No adverse events were reported, and all participants tolerated the intervention well.</p> <p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> A single session of ATT provides immediate, significant pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP, supporting its potential as a safe, non-invasive option for managing chronic back pain. Future studies should examine the long-term benefits of repeated ATT sessions and explore mechanistic insights into thermo-mechanical stimulation’s effects on pain and function.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Donnery, Kyle V"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science (M.S.)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Biomedical Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Marom Bikson","Jens Madsen","Luis Cardoso"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:58:13Z","subjects":["cNSLBP","Pain","Thermo-mechanical","Other Rehabilitation and Therapy"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1262","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Marom Bikson","Jens Madsen","Luis Cardoso"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Donnery, Kyle V"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-09T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Biomedical Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science (M.S.)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["cNSLBP","Pain","Thermo-mechanical","Other Rehabilitation and Therapy"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1262"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Objective: Chronic non-specific lower back pain (cNSLBP) is a prevalent and disabling condition, imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden due to high healthcare costs and productivity losses, with limited accessible and effective long-term treatment options. Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy (ATT) is a promising, non-drug intervention that leverages innovative technical advances to provide multimodal pain relief, offering accessibility and low-cost delivery. This study tested ATT for immediate pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP in a single-session, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Forty participants with cNSLBP were randomly assigned to receive either active ATT (n=20) or control ATT (n=20) in a 40-minute session. The active device applied heated cylindrical rollers along the spine, using far-infrared heat and mechanical tissue stimulation tailored to spinal alignment. In the control condition, the device used minimal mechanical therapy intensity without heat, targeting only the cervical area to avoid lower back therapeutic effects. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in pain intensity (primary outcome) via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P100), alongside secondary outcomes assessing pain characteristics, anxiety, and functional mobility.
Results: The active ATT group showed a significant reduction in pain on the VAS-P100, with an average decrease of 46.8%, compared to 17.0% in the control group. Participants in the active group also reported significantly greater subjective pain relief (p = 7.88e-05). Secondary outcomes demonstrated significant improvements in lumbar flexibility (Modified-Modified Schober Test, MMST) for the active ATT group compared to the control group (p = 0.0031). No adverse events were reported, and all participants tolerated the intervention well.
Conclusions: A single session of ATT provides immediate, significant pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP, supporting its potential as a safe, non-invasive option for managing chronic back pain. Future studies should examine the long-term benefits of repeated ATT sessions and explore mechanistic insights into thermo-mechanical stimulation’s effects on pain and function.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy for Immediate Relief in Chronic Non-Specific Lower Back Pain (cNSLBP): A Randomized Controlled Trial"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Marom Bikson","Jens Madsen","Luis Cardoso"],"dc:creator":["Donnery, Kyle V"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-09T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Objective: Chronic non-specific lower back pain (cNSLBP) is a prevalent and disabling condition, imposing a substantial socioeconomic burden due to high healthcare costs and productivity losses, with limited accessible and effective long-term treatment options. Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy (ATT) is a promising, non-drug intervention that leverages innovative technical advances to provide multimodal pain relief, offering accessibility and low-cost delivery. This study tested ATT for immediate pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP in a single-session, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Methods: Forty participants with cNSLBP were randomly assigned to receive either active ATT (n=20) or control ATT (n=20) in a 40-minute session. The active device applied heated cylindrical rollers along the spine, using far-infrared heat and mechanical tissue stimulation tailored to spinal alignment. In the control condition, the device used minimal mechanical therapy intensity without heat, targeting only the cervical area to avoid lower back therapeutic effects. Pre- and post-intervention assessments measured changes in pain intensity (primary outcome) via a 100-mm Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS-P100), alongside secondary outcomes assessing pain characteristics, anxiety, and functional mobility.
Results: The active ATT group showed a significant reduction in pain on the VAS-P100, with an average decrease of 46.8%, compared to 17.0% in the control group. Participants in the active group also reported significantly greater subjective pain relief (p = 7.88e-05). Secondary outcomes demonstrated significant improvements in lumbar flexibility (Modified-Modified Schober Test, MMST) for the active ATT group compared to the control group (p = 0.0031). No adverse events were reported, and all participants tolerated the intervention well.
Conclusions: A single session of ATT provides immediate, significant pain relief in individuals with cNSLBP, supporting its potential as a safe, non-invasive option for managing chronic back pain. Future studies should examine the long-term benefits of repeated ATT sessions and explore mechanistic insights into thermo-mechanical stimulation’s effects on pain and function.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://academicworks.cuny.edu/cc_etds_theses/1262"],"dc:subject":["cNSLBP","Pain","Thermo-mechanical","Other Rehabilitation and Therapy"],"dc:title":["Automated Thermo-mechanical Therapy for Immediate Relief in Chronic Non-Specific Lower Back Pain (cNSLBP): A Randomized Controlled Trial"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Biomedical Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science (M.S.)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:58:13Z"}