2.1. Study Design
ankle injury, active malignant disease, fever, inflammation, aneurysms, bowstring, pain, diabetes, cancer, rheumatic, psychic, digestive system
INFECTIOUS DISEASES, DEEP VEIN THROMBOSIS, GYNECOLOGICAL DISEASE, INFLAMMATION, ANEURYSMS, BACTERIAL INFECTIONS, OSTEOPOROSIS
The study was conducted at the Department of Physiotherapy Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and at the OsteoClinic-Osteopathy and Physiotherapy Clinic in Toruń. The sample size was calculated by the formula for the minimum sample size (The general population (Study inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) aged 40 to 60; (2) CLBP for more than 3 months. Study exclusion criteria were as follows: (1) having any neurological symptoms (tested via a neurological examination including: the slump test, the ankle clonus test and the Babinski reflex test, tension tests for the sciatic nerve (bowstring test and straight leg raise) and the femoral nerve (in the prone and side-lying position), assessment of ankle and knee reflexes, evaluation of the muscle strength and superficial sensation); (2) positive result in pain provocation tests: spinal axial compression and maximum compression of the intervertebral foramen in the area of the lumbosacral spine; (3) the presence of contraindications for MFR therapy (active malignant disease, deep vein thrombosis, aneurysms, infectious diseases, viral and bacterial infections, acute inflammation and fever); (4) history of a spine injury or received surgical treatment; (5) use of physiotherapy during the last 6 months; (6) coexisting conditions such as osteoporosis, diabetes, cancer and pregnancy or cardiovascular system, rheumatic, psychic, digestive system and gynecological diseases.Participants who qualified for the study were randomly assigned to two research groups using the simple randomization method [At the evaluation visit one month after the intervention, one participant was excluded from the EG due to an ankle injury. Five participants were excluded from the CG (three subjects received physiotherapy within the last month and two subjects did not come to the control visit). Overall, 113 participants completed the study. The flow of all participants through the phases of the study is shown in 