Microwave Radiometry (MWR) temperature measurement is related to symptom severity in patients with Low Back Pain (LBP)

Microwave Radiometry (MWR) has the advantage that measurements of internal (i.e. deep) tissue temperature may be obtained non-invasively by measuring naturally emitted radiation in GHz range. The goal of the present study is to further the development of MWR for clinical application in assessment of patients with Low Back Pain (LBP). In particular, a protocol was developed in which MWR was used to measure internal temperature at the level of the spinous processes of the L1 to L5 vertebral bodies along median and left and right para-vertebral lines. The protocol was used to study 48 patients with clinically confirmed acute or sub-acute LBP and 27 Controls. Analysis revealed there to be a significant increase in deep tissue temperature with increasing pain severity as measured by using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) in patients with LBP (p < 0.05). In conclusion, MWR potentially allows for objective assessment of the magnitude of clinical symptoms in patients with LBP and shows promise for measuring pain severity. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study utilized Microwave Radiometry (MWR) to assess internal tissue temperature in patients with Low Back Pain (LBP), finding a significant increase in deep tissue temperature with pain severity. MWR shows promise for objective measurement of pain severity in patients with LBP.