The Effect of Intradiscal Electrothermal Therapy on Quality of Life and Satisfaction of Patients with Discogenic Low Back Pain

Abstract

Objectives: Intradiscal electrothermal therapy (IDET) is an intervention option for discogenic low back pain treatment. The aim of this study was to research the pain level, quality of life, and satisfaction of patients who underwent IDET. Methods: This study was performed retrospectively with 50 patients treated with IDET for low back pain between April 1,2014 and November 20,2014. Age, weight, sex, body mass index, pain spread, location of intervention, 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) score, visual analogue score (VAS), and satisfaction level of the patients were recorded from data in the files. The satisfaction level of the patients was 70% (40% benefitted and 30% fully recovered). Results: Of the 50 patients included in the analysis, the male/female ratio was 31/19, the mean age was 43.2 +/- 2 years, and the mean weight was 72.2 +/- 9 kg. There was a statistically significant difference in SF-36 physical function result, pain score, and VAS between mean pretreatment results and 3 months after treatment (p<0.05). Conclusion: There was a significant difference in VAS, the SF-36 subscale of physical function, and pain points before treatment and after treatment with IDET, and the post-treatment satisfaction level of the patients was high.