Effectiveness Study of Physical Therapy As an Adjunct to a Lumbar Therapeutic Selective Nerve Root Block

Utah System of Higher Education (USHE)

Status and phase: Completed; Phase 2

Conditions: Radiculopathy; Intervertebral Disk Displacement; Sciatic Neuropathy

Treatments: Other: Rehabilitation following lumbar injection; Other: Lumbar injection

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00934284

00014476

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to determine if participation in physical therapy in conjunction with a selective nerve root block in the lumbar spine is more effective than just receiving the injection alone for patients with low back and leg pain from a disk herniation (sciatica).

Full description

Recent reviews report moderate to strong evidence for short-term relief but limited evidence for long-term improvement. Anecdotal reports and case studies suggest good outcomes with various physical therapy interventions however well-designed research studies examining treatments in combination are lacking. The management of lumbar radicular pain often includes the combination of physical therapy and therapeutic selective nerve root blocks with the rationale that reducing inflammation and pain will permit greater participation in physical therapy. The effectiveness of this combination of treatment has not been studied and is the purpose of this pilot study.

Enrollment: 44 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 60 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• MRI evidence of disk herniation in the lumbar spine consistent with clinical presentation
• Pain and/or paresthesia in the lumbar spine and a distribution extending distal to the gluteal fold within 24 hours of enrollment
• Scheduled to receive a therapeutic selective nerve root block

Exclusion criteria

• Any lumbar surgery within six months of the baseline examination
• Any prior lumbar surgery involving fusion
• Medical red flags indicating a serious pathology such as neoplasm, infection, or fracture

Trial design

44 participants in 2 patient groups

Injection only

Description:

Participants receive a therapeutic selective nerve root block and advice to return to normal activity as tolerated.

Treatment:

Other: Lumbar injection

Injection plus physical therapy

Description:

Participants are referred to physical therapy within one week of receiving a therapeutic selective nerve root block. Physical therapy consists of end-range movements in a directional preference and/or mechanical traction to reduce radicular symptoms.

Treatment:

Other: Rehabilitation following lumbar injection