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El Melhat AM, Youssef ASA, Zebdawi MR, Hafez MA, Khalil LH, Harrison DE. Non-Surgical Approaches to the Management of Lumbar Disc Herniation Associated with Radiculopathy: A Narrative Review. J Clin Med 2024; 13:974. [PMID: 38398287 PMCID: PMC10888666 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13040974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Lumbar disc herniation associated with radiculopathy (LDHR) is among the most frequent causes of spine-related disorders. This condition is triggered by irritation of the nerve root caused by a herniated disc. Many non-surgical and surgical approaches are available for managing this prevalent disorder. Non-surgical treatment approaches are considered the preferred initial management methods as they are proven to be efficient in reducing both pain and disability in the absence of any red flags. The methodology employed in this review involves an extensive exploration of recent clinical research, focusing on various non-surgical approaches for LDHR. By exploring the effectiveness and patient-related outcomes of various conservative approaches, including physical therapy modalities and alternative therapies, therapists gain valuable insights that can inform clinical decision-making, ultimately contributing to enhanced patient care and improved outcomes in the treatment of LDHR. The objective of this article is to introduce advanced and new treatment techniques, supplementing existing knowledge on various conservative treatments. It provides a comprehensive overview of the current therapeutic landscape, thereby suggesting pathways for future research to fill the gaps in knowledge. Specific to our detailed review, we identified the following interventions to yield moderate evidence (Level B) of effectiveness for the conservative treatment of LDHR: patient education and self-management, McKenzie method, mobilization and manipulation, exercise therapy, traction (short-term outcomes), neural mobilization, and epidural injections. Two interventions were identified to have weak evidence of effectiveness (Level C): traction for long-term outcomes and dry needling. Three interventions were identified to have conflicting or no evidence (Level D) of effectiveness: electro-diagnostic-based management, laser and ultrasound, and electrotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed M. El Melhat
- Department of Physical Therapy for Musculoskeletal Disorders and Their Surgeries, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Cairo 12613, Egypt;
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon (M.R.Z.); (M.A.H.); (L.H.K.)
| | - Ahmed S. A. Youssef
- Basic Science Department, Faculty of Physical Therapy, Beni-Suef University, Beni-Suef 62521, Egypt;
| | - Moustafa R. Zebdawi
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon (M.R.Z.); (M.A.H.); (L.H.K.)
| | - Maya A. Hafez
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon (M.R.Z.); (M.A.H.); (L.H.K.)
| | - Lamia H. Khalil
- Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Beirut Arab University, Beirut P.O. Box 11-5020, Lebanon (M.R.Z.); (M.A.H.); (L.H.K.)
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Cardoso L, Khadka N, Dmochowski JP, Meneses E, Lee K, Kim S, Jin Y, Bikson M. Computational modeling of posteroanterior lumbar traction by an automated massage bed: predicting intervertebral disc stresses and deformation. FRONTIERS IN REHABILITATION SCIENCES 2022; 3:931274. [PMID: 36189059 PMCID: PMC9397988 DOI: 10.3389/fresc.2022.931274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Spinal traction is a physical intervention that provides constant or intermittent stretching axial force to the lumbar vertebrae to gradually distract spinal tissues into better alignment, reduce intervertebral disc (IVD) pressure, and manage lower back pain (LBP). However, such axial traction may change the normal lordotic curvature, and result in unwanted side effects and/or inefficient reduction of the IVD pressure. An alternative to axial traction has been recently tested, consisting of posteroanterior (PA) traction in supine posture, which was recently shown effective to increase the intervertebral space and lordotic angle using MRI. PA traction aims to maintain the lumbar lordosis curvature throughout the spinal traction therapy while reducing the intradiscal pressure. In this study, we developed finite element simulations of mechanical therapy produced by a commercial thermo-mechanical massage bed capable of spinal PA traction. The stress relief produced on the lumbar discs by the posteroanterior traction system was investigated on human subject models with different BMI (normal, overweight, moderate obese and extreme obese BMI cases). We predict typical traction levels lead to significant distraction stresses in the lumbar discs, thus producing a stress relief by reducing the compression stresses normally experienced by these tissues. Also, the stress relief experienced by the lumbar discs was effective in all BMI models, and it was found maximal in the normal BMI model. These results are consistent with prior observations of therapeutic benefits derived from spinal AP traction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Cardoso
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Luis Cardoso
| | - Niranjan Khadka
- Division of Neuropsychiatry and Neuromodulation, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jacek P. Dmochowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Edson Meneses
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kiwon Lee
- Clinical Research Institute, Ceragem Clinical Inc., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungjin Kim
- Clinical Research Institute, Ceragem Clinical Inc., Seoul, South Korea
| | - Youngsoo Jin
- Clinical Research Institute, Ceragem Clinical Inc., Seoul, South Korea
- Asan Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Marom Bikson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The City College of New York, New York, NY, United States
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Yoon YS, Lee JH, Lee M, Kim KE, Jang HY, Lee KJ, Bajgai J, Kim CS, Cho IY. Mechanical Changes of the Lumbar Intervertebral Space and Lordotic Angle Caused by Posterior-to-Anterior Traction Using a Spinal Thermal Massage Device in Healthy People. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:healthcare9070900. [PMID: 34356278 PMCID: PMC8307674 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9070900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The axial (horizontal) traction approach has been traditionally used for treatment of low back pain-related spinal disorders such as nuclear protrusion, primary posterolateral root pain, and lower thoracic disc herniation; however, it is known to have some technical limitations due to reductions of the spinal curve. Lumbar lordosis plays a pivotal function in maintaining sagittal balance. Recently, vertical traction and combination traction have been attracting attention due to improving therapeutic outcomes, although evidence of their clinical application is rare; therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the mechanical changes of lumbar intervertebral space, lordotic angle, and the central spinal canal area through vertical traction treatment using a spinal massage device in healthy participants. Methods: In total, 10 healthy subjects with no musculoskeletal disorders and no physical activity restrictions participated. The participants lay on the experimental device (CGM MB-1901) in supine extended posture and vertical traction force was applied in a posterior-to-anterior direction on the L3–4 and L4–5 lumbar sections at level 1 (baseline) and level 9 (traction mode). Magnetic resonance (MR) images were recorded directly under traction mode using the MRI scanner. The height values of the intervertebral space (anterior, center, and posterior parts) and lordosis angle of the L3–4 and L4–5 sections were measured using Image J software and the central spinal canal area (L4–5) was observed through superimposition method using the MR images. All measurement and image analyses were conducted by 2 experienced radiologists under a single-blinded method. Results: The average height values of the intervertebral space under traction mode were significantly increased in both L3–4 and L4–5 sections compared to baseline, particularly in the anterior and central parts but not in the posterior part. Cobb’s angle also showed significant increases in both L3–4 and L4–5 sections compared to baseline (p < 0.001). The central spinal canal area showed a slightly expanded feature in traction mode. Conclusions: In this pilot experiment, posterior-to-anterior vertical traction on L3–4 and L4–5 sections using a spinal massage device caused positive and significant changes based on increases of the intervertebral space height, lumbar lordosis angle, and central spinal canal area compared to the baseline condition. Our results are expected to be useful as underlying data for the clinical application of vertical traction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Soon Yoon
- Presbyterian Medical Center, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 365, Seowon-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si 54987, Korea; (Y.-S.Y.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Jong-Hoo Lee
- Presbyterian Medical Center, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 365, Seowon-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si 54987, Korea; (Y.-S.Y.); (J.-H.L.)
| | - Mihyun Lee
- Department of Physical Education, Sungkyul University, 53, Seonggyeoldaehak-ro, Manan-gu, Anyang-si 14097, Korea;
| | - Ka-Eun Kim
- College of Medical Sciences, Jeonju University, 303, Cheonjam-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si 55069, Korea;
| | - Hong-Young Jang
- Department of Medical Sciences Convergence Research Center for Medical Sciences, Jeonju University, 303, Cheonjam-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si 55069, Korea;
| | - Kyu-Jae Lee
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Korea; (K.-J.L.); (J.B.); (C.-S.K.)
| | - Johny Bajgai
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Korea; (K.-J.L.); (J.B.); (C.-S.K.)
| | - Cheol-Su Kim
- Department of Environmental Medical Biology, Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju 26426, Korea; (K.-J.L.); (J.B.); (C.-S.K.)
| | - Il-Young Cho
- Department of Medical Sciences Convergence Research Center for Medical Sciences, Jeonju University, 303, Cheonjam-ro, Wansan-gu, Jeonju-si 55069, Korea;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-63-220-3125
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