Wearable Postural Control System for Low Back Pain Therapy

Treatment of low back pain usually includes exercise, analgesics, prostheses, and, in severe cases, surgery. Early treatments based on postural control are essential to prevent low back pain and mitigate permanent damage. We present a wearable device, with an estimated cost below U.S. $100, which uses inertial units with triaxial accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to measure the orientation of three sections of the spine. The device integrates the absolute and relative orientation from the sensors to estimate the posture of the back in real-time and uses a fuzzy system to control a vibration unit that indicates the user when to correct the posture of the back. We validated the device in controlled conditions, obtaining an rms deviation ≤1.24° and conducted a preliminary clinical pilot study with patients afflicted by lumbar hyperlordosis or lumbar hypolordosis. We observed an improved postural control and a reduction of low back pain in all cases. These results show a promising potential of the device to reduce pain, improve postural therapies, and raise postural awareness in patients affected with low back pain.