Research Article Effects of Whole-Body Electromyostimulation on Low Back Pain in People with Chronic Unspecific Dorsal Pain: A Meta-Analysis of Individual Patient Data from Randomized Controlled WB-EMS Trials Wolfgang Kemmler, 1 Anja Weissenfels, 1 Michael Bebenek, 1 Michael Fröhlich, 2 Heinz Kleinöder, 3 Matthias Kohl, 4 and Simon von Stengel 1 1 Institute of Medical Physics, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-N¨ urnberg, Henkestrasse 91, 91052 Erlangen, Germany 2 Department of Sports Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Erwin-Schr¨ odinger-Strasse, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany 3 German Sport University Cologne, Am Sportpark M¨ ungersdorf 6, 50933 Cologne, Germany 4 Department of Medical and Life Sciences, University of Furtwangen, Neckarstrasse 6, 78056 Villingen-Schwenningen, Germany Correspondence should be addressed to Wolfgang Kemmler; wolfgang.kemmler@imp.uni-erlangen.de Received 25 August 2017; Accepted 20 September 2017; Published 18 October 2017 Academic Editor: Morry Silberstein Copyright © 2017 Wolfgang Kemmler et al. Tis is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. In order to evaluate the favorable efect of whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) on low back pain (LBP), an aspect which is frequently claimed by commercial providers, we performed a meta-analysis of individual patient data. Te analysis is based on fve of our recently conducted randomized controlled WB-EMS trials with adults 60 years+, all of which applied similar WB-EMS protocols (1.5 sessions/week, bipolar current, 16–25 min/session, 85 Hz, 350 s, and 4–6 s impulse/4 s impulse-break) and used the same pain questionnaire. From these underlying trials, we included only subjects with frequent-chronic LBP in the present meta- analysis. Study endpoints were pain intensity and frequency at the lumbar spine. In summary, 23 participants of the underlying WB-EMS and 22 subjects of the control groups (CG) were pooled in a joint WB-EMS and CG. At baseline, no group diferences with respect to LBP intensity and frequency were observed. Pain intensity improved signifcantly in the WB-EMS ( < .001) and was maintained ( = .997) in the CG. LBP frequency decreased signifcantly in the WB-EMS ( < .001) and improved nonsignifcantly in the CG ( = .057). Group diferences for both LBP parameters were signifcant ( ≤ .035). We concluded that WB-EMS appears to be an efective training tool for reducing LBP; however, RCTs should further address this issue with more specifed study protocols. 1. Introduction Low back pain (LBP) is one of the leading causes of chronic diseases worldwide [1, 2]. In Western Europe and North America, LBP was the most common source of disability- adjusted life-years in 2013, without any positive tendency [1, 2]. Severe and chronic LBP increases with advanced age [3] and usually results in functional disability and loss of independence; thus efective LBP management in older adults is crucial [4]. In about 80% of the patients, the causes for chronic LBP are nonspecifc [5], or best practice therapies were challenging. Physical exercise is a recognized agent in the area of unspecifc chronic LBP [6, 7], but the enthusiasm for exercise is not pronounced in older people with chronic LBP. Lack of time was reported as the main obstacle to exercise [8]; furthermore kinesiophobia, that is, the fear of pain due to movement, is very prevalent in this cohort [9]. Alternative training technologies that overcome the preva- lent limitations of conventional exercise may be promising options for people with chronic unspecifc LBP. Whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS), a time-efcient, safe, and joint-friendly technology, may be such a choice [10, 11]. How- ever, although many commercial providers promote WB- EMS as an efective therapy for LBP, the scientifc evidence for Hindawi Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine Volume 2017, Article ID 8480429, 8 pages https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/8480429