Two manual therapy techniques for management of lumbar radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial

Manual therapy plus sexual advice compared with manual therapy or exercise therapy alone for lumbar radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial

CONTEXT

The biopsychosocial approach to managing low back pain (LBP) has the potential to improve the quality of care for patients. However, LBP trials that have utilized the biopsychosocial approach to treatment have largely neglected sexual activity, which is an important social component of individuals with LBP.

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the study are to determine the effects of manual therapy plus sexual advice (MT+SA) compared with manual therapy (MT) or exercise therapy (ET) alone in the management of individuals with lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy (DHR) and to determine the best sexual positions for these individuals.

METHODS

This was a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty-four participants diagnosed as having chronic DHR (>3 months) were randomly allocated into three groups with 18 participants each in the MT+SA, MT and ET groups. The participants in the MT+SA group received manual therapy (including Dowling's progressive inhibition of neuromuscular structures and Mulligan's spinal mobilization with leg movement) plus sexual advice, those in the MT group received manual therapy only and those in the ET group received exercise therapy only. Each group received treatment for 12 weeks and then followed up for additional 40 weeks. The primary outcomes were pain, activity limitation, sexual disability and kinesiophobia at 12 weeks post-randomization.

RESULTS

The MT+SA group improved significantly better than the MT or ET group in all outcomes (except for nerve function), and at all timelines (6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks post-randomization). These improvements were also clinically meaningful for back pain, leg pain, medication intake, and functional mobility at 6 and 12 weeks post-randomization and for sexual disability, activity limitation, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia at 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks post-randomization (p<0.05). On the other hand, many preferred sexual positions for individuals with DHR emerged, with "side-lying" being the most practiced sexual position and "standing" being the least practiced sexual position by females. While "lying supine" was the most practiced sexual position and "sitting on a chair" was the least practiced sexual position by males.

CONCLUSIONS

This study found that individuals with DHR demonstrated better improvements in all outcomes when treated with MT+SA than when treated with MT or ET alone. These improvements were also clinically meaningful for sexual disability, activity limitation, pain catastrophizing, and kinesiophobia at long-term follow-up. There is also no one-size-fits-all to sexual positioning for individuals with DHR.

The effects of combining sensorimotor training with transcranial direct current stimulation on the anticipatory and compensatory postural adjustments in patients with chronic low back pain

PURPOSE

To investigate the effects of concurrent sensorimotor training (SMT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on the anticipatory and compensatory postural adjustments (APAs and CPAs) in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP).

METHOD

The interventions included (1) SMT plus tDCS and (2) SMT plus sham tDCS. Outcome measures were the normalized integrals of electromyography activity (NIEMG) during the phases of anticipatory and compensatory, and muscle onset latency. The investigated muscles were ipsilateral and contralateral multifidus (MF), transversus abdominus/internal oblique (TrA/IO), and gluteus medius (GM).

RESULTS

Between-group comparisons demonstrated that ipsilateral TrA/IO NIEMG during CPA1 (p = 0.010) and ipsilateral GM NIEMG during CPA1 (p = 0.002) and CPA2 (p = 0.025) were significantly lower in the SMT combined with tDCS than in the control group. Furthermore, this group had greater NIEMG for contralateral GM during APA1 than the control group (p = 0.032). Moreover, the onset latency of contralateral TrA/IO was significantly earlier after SMT combined with tDCS (p = 0.011).

CONCLUSIONS

Both groups that received SMT showed positive effects, but anodal tDCS had an added value over sham stimulation for improving postural control strategies in patients with CLBP. Indeed, SMT combined with tDCS leads to stronger APA and less demand for CPA.

RCT REGISTRATION NUMBER

IRCT20220228054149N1.

REGISTRATION DATE

2022-04-04.

Efficacy of Individualized Homeopathic Medicines in the Treatment of Sciatica Pain: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial

Objectives: Sciatica is a debilitating condition that causes pain in its distribution or in the lumbosacral nerve root that is connected to it. Although there are claims that homeopathy can reduce sciatica pain, systematic scientific proof is currently lacking. The objective of the trial was to determine whether individualized homeopathic medicines (IHMs) were as effective as identical-looking placebos in treating sciatica pain. Design: This is a double-blind, randomized (1:1), two parallel arms, placebo-controlled trial. Setting: The study was conducted at Mahesh Bhattacharyya Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, Howrah, West Bengal, India. Subjects: Sixty participants with sciatica pain were included in this study. Interventions: Verum (n = 30; IHMs plus concomitant care) versus control (n = 30; placebos plus concomitant care). Outcome measures: Primary-Sciatica Bothersome Index (SBI) and Sciatica Frequency Index (SFI) scores and secondary-Roland Morris Pain and Disability Questionnaire (RMPDQ), Short Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ), and Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire (OLBPQ) scores: all of them were measured at baseline, and every month, up to 3 months. Results: Intention-to-treat sample (n = 60) was analyzed. Group differences were examined by two-way (split-half) repeated measure analysis of variance, primarily accounting for between groups and time interactions, and additionally, by unpaired t tests comparing the estimates obtained individually every month. The level of significance was set at p < 0.025 and <0.05 two tailed for the primary and secondary outcomes, respectively. Group differences could not achieve significance in SBI (p = 0.044), SFI (p = 0.080), and RMPDQ scores (p = 0.134), but were significant for SF-MPQ (p = 0.007) and OLBPQ (p = 0.036). Gnaphalium polycephalum (n = 6; 10%) was the most frequently prescribed medicine. No harm, serious adverse events, or intercurrent illnesses were recorded in either of the groups. Conclusions: The primary outcome failed to demonstrate evidently that homeopathy was effective beyond placebo, and the trial remained inconclusive. Independent replications are warranted to confirm the findings. Clinical Trial Registration Number: CTRI/2020/10/028617.

Effect of three-volt moxibustion with helium-neon laser irradiation on quality of care in patients with lumbar radiculopathy spondylosis

BACKGROUND

Lumbar radiculopathy spondylosis is a relatively common orthopedic disease with a high incidence rate. It most commonly occurs in the lumbar 4-5 and lumbar 5-sacral 1 vertebrae, which account for approximately 95% of cases. It mostly occurs in people aged 30-50 years old and greatly affects their quality of life.

AIM

To determine the effect of triple-voltage acupuncture combined with helium-neon laser irradiation on the quality of care and improvement of symptoms in patients with lumbar radiculopathy spondylolisthesis.

METHODS

In this study, we selected 120 patients with lumbar radiculopathy spondylosis who were treated at our hospital between June 2019 to June 2020. The patients were divided into control and observation groups according to the random number table method, with 60 patients in each group. Patients in the observation group were treated with three-volt moxibustion combined with helium-neon laser irradiation, and those in the control group were treated with lumbar traction. After 1 month of treatment, the lumbar pain scores, lumbar spine motor functions, clinical treatment effects, and nursing satisfaction of the two groups were compared.

RESULTS

The results showed that acupuncture combined with laser irradiation significantly improved the patients' clinical symptoms, i.e., reduced their low back pain, significantly lower numerical rating scale pain scores in the observation group than in the control group, and better lumbar spine motility than in the control group, compared to lumbar traction. In addition, they were cared for. The treatment effectiveness rate of the observation group was 95.5%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (81.67%). Satisfaction with care was higher than 90 points in both groups, but the difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Our study provides a clinical rationale for the future treatment of patients with lumbar spine disease. However, further extensive research is needed for validation.

Effects of spinal manipulation or mobilization as an adjunct to neurodynamic mobilization for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy: a randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

To determine the long-term clinical effects of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) or mobilization (MOB) as an adjunct to neurodynamic mobilization (NM) in the management of individuals with Lumbar Disc Herniation with Radiculopathy (DHR).

DESIGN

Parallel group, single-blind randomized clinical trial.

SETTING

The study was conducted in a governmental tertiary hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty (40) participants diagnosed as having a chronic DHR (≥3 months) were randomly allocated into two groups with 20 participants each in the SMT and MOB groups.

INTERVENTIONS

Participants in the SMT group received high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulation, while those in the MOB group received Mulligans' spinal mobilization with leg movement. Each treatment group also received NM as a co-intervention, administered immediately after the SMT and MOB treatment sessions. Each group received treatment twice a week for 12 weeks.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The following outcomes were measured at baseline, 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks post-randomization; back pain, leg pain, activity limitation, sciatica bothersomeness, sciatica frequency, functional mobility, quality of life, and global effect. The primary outcomes were pain and activity limitation at 12 weeks post-randomization.

RESULTS

The results indicate that the MOB group improved significantly better than the SMT group in all outcomes (p < 0.05), and at all timelines (6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks post-randomization), except for sensory deficit at 52 weeks, and reflex and motor deficits at 12 and 52 weeks. These improvements were also clinically meaningful for neurodynamic testing and sensory deficits at 12 weeks, back pain intensity at 6 weeks, and for activity limitation, functional mobility, and quality of life outcomes at 6, 12, 26, and 52 weeks of follow-ups. The risk of being improved at 12 weeks post-randomization was 40% lower (RR = 0.6, CI = 0.4 to 0.9, p = 0.007) in the SMT group compared to the MOB group.

CONCLUSION

This study found that individuals with DHR demonstrated better improvements when treated with MOB plus NM than when treated with SMT plus NM. These improvements were also clinically meaningful for activity limitation, functional mobility, and quality of life outcomes at long-term follow-up.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Pan-African Clinical Trial Registry: PACTR201812840142310.