Gintarė Tamošaitytė, Eglė Ieva Jamontaitė
Abstract
Purpose: To compare the effectiveness of different physiotherapy programs for patients with lumbar radiculopathy.
Methods: In study participated 60 persons who had L4-L5, L5-S1 or combined L4-L5 and L5-S1 radiculopathy. Participants were randomized into three groups each of 20 persons. First and the second group were treatment groups, while a third group was control group. Outcomes measures were evaluated pre- and post- physiotherapy intervention assessing static muscle endurance and pain intensity (NPS).
Results: 1. The study involved patients whose average age was 47,8±14,1 years, that is the working-age patients, but 33 percent of them were unemployed during the study. 2. The intensity of pain significantly decreased after physiotherapy in all three groups of patients (p<0,05). However, the pain significantly more decreased in the first treatment group of patients compare with the control group in which patients were treated without spine traction (p<0,05). 3. After physiotherapy the abdomen, back, left and right sides of the muscular endurance significantly increased in all three groups of patients (p<0,05). The visible trend was seen that the trunk muscle endurance of first and second treatment groups after physiotherapy was higher compared with the control group of patients (p>0,05).
doi:10.5200/sm-hs.2012.046
Keyword(s): lumbar radiculopathy; physiotherapy; spinal traction; low back pain; muscular endurance
DOI: 10.5200/287
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