Custom-made rigid lumbar corset can be a short-term pain release option for low back pain patients with Modic 1 active discopathy: A retrospective study

Objective There are currently several strategies for the management of patients with chronic low back pain with Modic 1 active disc disease. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of custom-made rigid lumbar corset for patients with chronic low back pain associated with Modic 1. Material/Patients and methods This is a descriptive, retrospective observational study. Socio-demographic, clinical and radiological data of patients with chronic low back pain with Modic 1 treated with a custom-made rigid lumbar support in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department of Clermont-Ferrand University hospital from January 2014 to December 31, 2016, were analyzed. Non-specific chronic low back pain with Modic 1 discopathy on the MRI of the lumbar spine were included. Patients with associated spondylolisthesis, Modic 1–2 mixed discopathy or who did not wear the corset for a whole 3 months were not included. The main criterion was percentage of pain improvement. Results Among the 174 patients who received lumbar support, 62 were included in the study. Sixty-two percent of patients had a pain improvement of more than 50%. One to two months after wearing the corset, 30 out of 46 patients (16 missing data) experienced a pain relapse. We did not find socio-professional, clinical or radiological criteria predicting the effectiveness of the treatment. Discussion/Conclusion Custom-made rigid lumbar support, a non-invasive treatment, has a short-term effect on chronic low back pain associated with Modic 1 discopathy. Its range of motion limitation action, comparable to surgical lumbar arthrodesis, appears to be an interesting therapeutic option. A randomized controlled study is needed to confirm these preliminary results. Place of immobilization by corset for chronic low back pain with Modic 1 active discopathy must be better defined compared with other options (NSAID, steroid injection).