High Versus Low Level of Lumbar Traction in Acute Lumbar Sciatica Due to Disc Herniation

University Hospital, Strasbourg, France

Status: Completed

Conditions: Acute Lumbar Sciatica Secondary to Disc Herniation

Treatments: Procedure: Traction sessions

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02091791

2754

Details and patient eligibility

About

The aim of this study is to compare two levels (high and low forces) of short term lumbar traction on pain and functional tests of the lower limbs in a specific population of patients presenting with acute lumbar sciatica secondary to disc herniation. The investigators hypothesize that, in this particular medical condition, high level of lumbar traction might be more effective than low level lumbar traction in decreasing the pain associated with acute sciatica.

Enrollment: 17 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 99 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• less than 6-week lumbar sciatica secondary to disc herniation, confirmed by pain radiating down the leg along the distribution of the sciatic nerve together with positive straight leg raising test (SLRT)

Exclusion criteria

• symptoms persisting for more than 6 weeks
• signs of clinical neurological deficit
• lumbar sciatica not caused by disc herniation
• presence of lumbar tomodensitometry abnormalities
• Subjects younger than 18
• pregnant women
• patients on medical leave for more than 3 weeks at inclusion
• patients with history of lumbar surgery
• patients who already had lumbar traction therapy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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17 participants in 2 patient groups

LT10

Experimental group

Description:

Long duration (30 minutes) traction sessions of "low force" (10% of body weight) for 2 weeks (5 sessions/week).

Treatment:

Procedure: Traction sessions

LT50

Experimental group

Description:

Long duration (30 minutes) traction sessions of "high force" (50% of body weight) for 2 weeks (5 sessions/week).

Treatment:

Procedure: Traction sessions