Suggested topic for doctoral thesis
Effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for myofascial back pain - a prospective study
Background:
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is a non-invasive treatment method in which focused shock waves are generated outside the body and delivered to the affected tissue in a targeted manner. These shock waves are high-energy acoustic impulses with a steep increase in pressure, followed by a brief negative pressure component. When the shock waves pass through tissue with different acoustic impedances, reflections and transmissions occur at the interfaces. These impedance differences lead to mechanical stresses that can cause therapeutic effects. Particularly at the interfaces of soft tissue and bone tissue or within muscle structures with myofascial trigger points, these mechanical tensions can contribute to the dissolution of adhesions and the modulation of pain receptors. In addition, ESWT promotes blood circulation and stimulates cell regeneration by releasing pain points and tension and modulating inflammatory processes
In the case of myofascial trigger points - painful, hardened muscle areas - ESWT can therefore help to reduce local muscle tension, relieve pain and improve function. Studies suggest promising results, but further research is needed to confirm the efficacy and underlying mechanisms for this specific indication.
Research question / Methods:
The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ESWT in terms of pain relief, functional mobility, mobility and quality of life. The study is based on objective and subjective measurement parameters in order to record the effects on patients' everyday functioning.
Hypothesis: The application of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for myofascial trigger points in the lower back leads to a significant reduction in pain intensity and improvement in functional mobility compared to the control group.
The study is being conducted in close cooperation with an orthopaedic practice, the company MTS Medical AG and the University of Münster. This collaboration combines clinical expertise, state-of-the-art medical technology and scientific research to comprehensively investigate the effectiveness of ESWT on myofascial trigger points.
The doctoral student will be actively involved in:
- Recruitment of study participants
- Organization of treatments with ESWT
- Collection and documentation of clinical data (pain intensity, mobility tests, quality of life questionnaires)
- Statistical analysis of the results
- Writing scientific publications
Requirements:
- Students of human medicine (from the clinical study stage)
- Interest in scientific and/or clinical issues
- Independent and structured work
- Interest in musculoskeletal research and evidence-based therapy
- Basic knowledge of statistics and study design (desirable, but not essential)
If you are interested in clinical research and would like to be part of an innovative project, we look forward to receiving your application!
Comments
The project is linked to the Experimental Orthopaedics Department at the Clinic for General Orthopaedics and Tumor Orthopaedics (Director: Prof. Dr. med. Georg Gosheger) at Münster University Hospital (UKM). This enables practice-oriented research and development. Our focus is on clinical issues with direct application relevance. We develop innovative solutions to improve patient care. To this end, we research and utilize the possibilities of state-of-the-art technologies.
If you are interested or have any questions, please get in touch using the following contact details.
If you have any questions about the project or are interested in this task, please contact
Dr. med. Müller-Ehrenberg: info@triggerpunktzentrum.de
Category
Musvclo-skeletal medicine
Method
clinical-experimental
We are looking for
Students of human medicine in the clinical study phase
Expected start from
01.04.2025
Expected duration
12-18 months
Workload
5-10h/week flexible, in coordination with the practice
Institution
Clinic for General Orthopaedics and Tumor Orthopaedics, Experimental Orthopaedics in cooperation with the Orthopaedic Private Practice, Tibusstrasse 6, Münster
Doctoral supervisor
PD Dr. med. Dr. rer. medic. Dipl.-Ing. (FH) Martin Schulze
Supervisor
Dr. med. Hannes Müller-Ehrenberg
Contact person
Dr. med. Hannes Müller-Ehrenberg
E-Mail
info@triggerpunktzentrum.de
Web adress
