Participants and measurements
Single-arm before–after study in 7 men and 8 women with low back pain. Standing, participants received focal contact to the lumbar muscles combined with side-bending for 10 minutes. Muscle hardness was measured with a hardness meter at three points, and symptoms were rated on visual analogue scales (VAS).
Results
Muscle hardness decreased at all three measurement points. Self-rated pain also changed (VAS, P=0.013); ease of movement and lightness were rated as well.
The hardness meter used here and the shear wave speed used in later work rest on different physical principles and units. We report each with its own measurement conditions.
Blood and biochemistry (Table 4 of the paper)
Main items from Table 4, mean ± SD, with the units and decimal places of the paper. The paper treats blood tests as a safety check and reports descriptive statistics. Samples were drawn about 40 minutes apart; the second sample was taken immediately after the session.
| Index | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| White blood cells (/μL) | 5564.3 ± 1351.7 | 6192.9 ± 1272.5 |
| Red blood cells (×10⁴/μL) | 443.0 ± 27.5 | 460.1 ± 30.8 |
| Platelets (×10⁴/μL) | 23.5 ± 8.3 | 24.9 ± 8.5 |
| Neutrophils (/μL) | 3241.1 ± 1233.3 | 3496.6 ± 1221.4 |
| Lymphocytes (/μL) | 1783.1 ± 565.4 | 2146.7 ± 650.9 |
| AST (IU/L, 37 °C) | 19.87 ± 5.77 | 21.47 ± 6.25 |
| ALT (IU/L, 37 °C) | 21.33 ± 11.66 | 23.13 ± 12.43 |
| ALP (IU/L, 37 °C) | 214.33 ± 43.32 | 229.73 ± 51.53 |
| LD (IU/L, 37 °C) | 196.40 ± 50.32 | 206.20 ± 51.37 |
| LAP (IU/L, 37 °C) | 55.47 ± 14.87 | 59.73 ± 15.60 |
| Total bilirubin (mg/dL) | 0.69 ± 0.29 | 0.76 ± 0.32 |
| Cholinesterase (IU/L, 37 °C) | 371.60 ± 72.35 | 396.47 ± 76.67 |
| Total protein (g/dL) | 7.31 ± 0.35 | 7.79 ± 0.46 |
| CK (IU/L, 37 °C) | 94.40 ± 62.42 | 99.13 ± 64.19 |
| Calcium (mg/dL) | 9.66 ± 0.22 | 9.89 ± 0.26 |
| Serum amylase (IU/L, 37 °C) | 74.87 ± 22.93 | 78.47 ± 24.12 |
| Total cholesterol (mg/dL) | 216.53 ± 25.49 | 231.6 ± 29.6 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 63.53 ± 16.57 | 67.7 ± 18.1 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL) | 129.60 ± 30.39 | 138.1 ± 32.5 |
| Free fatty acids (mEq/L) | 0.76 ± 0.18 | 0.91 ± 0.22 |
Oxidative stress and antioxidant capacity
| Index | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| d-ROMs (U.CARR) | 243.1 ± 42.4 | 307.7 ± 52.7 |
| BAP (μmol/L) | 2103.1 ± 418.0 | 2507.7 ± 358.8 |
| Modified BAP/d-ROMs ratio | 1.18 ± 0.31 | 1.12 ± 0.26 |
Mean ± SD. Both BAP and d-ROMs rose, and the modified ratio is reported with them. Source: 2012 paper, Table 3.
Practice observations and a research question
Practice observations · Research context
Our in-person self-care programme for 2016–2018 reports a cumulative count of 1,179 people with low back pain. Their self-reported pain ratings and tissue indentation measurements offer a practical starting point for questions about tissue mechanics and pain.
The horizontal axis shows indentation depth in centimetres under a 500 gf load (approximately 5.0 N), using a 1 cm-diameter rod. The vertical axis shows self-reported pain, with each person’s pre-intervention rating expressed as 10. The plotted curves below are an excerpt from the original graphic.
Pain ratings and indentation depth
Research direction
How does resistance to indentation relate to pain ratings? Prospective research could pair standardised tissue measurements with pain ratings at predefined time points. The 2025 force and contact-size study and the registered lateral abdominal wall SWE pilot offer complementary methods for exploring this question.
Scope and next steps
Research direction
This study describes short-term before–after changes in 15 participants. A proposed randomised comparison would measure muscle hardness, pain and daily activity alongside blood-cell and biochemical indices at shared time points. A control procedure would help evaluate the contribution of the intervention.
Ethics
The paper reports ethics review (Takara Clinic) and informed consent. See the later dose-parameter study
Sources
- Sakaguchi H, Sakato T, Yamamoto K, et al. The effect of Kanshoho on low back pain (lumbago) [in Japanese]. Japanese Journal of Integrative Medicine. 2012;5(1):62–67 (PDF)
- Japan Health Organization. Guided Kanshoho self-care programme, 2016–2018: practice observations. Original graphic (Japanese).
Sections marked “Research direction” describe hypotheses and proposed studies for discussion with collaborators. Observations are presented with their participants, methods and sources.
Last updated: 22 September 2026