Neurodynamic Intervention for Lumbar Radiculopathy

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos

Status: Completed

Conditions: Lumbar Radiculopathy

Treatments: Other: Motor Control Exercise Plus Neurodynamic Intervention; Other: Motor Control Exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03620864

HU201531

Details and patient eligibility

About

Low back pain (LBP) is a common condition and has a significant impact on the individual in terms of pain and disability. Lumbar radiculopathy occurs often with LBP and may be the result of a lumbar herniated disc which will irritate a lumbar nerve trunk resulting in intraneural inflammation. There is evidence supporting the use of manual therapies of lumbar radiculopathy. One potential manual therapy is neurodynamic mobilization technique. No scientific evidence, based on a RCT, exists that this particular approach is beneficial for individuals with LBP and lumbar radiculopathy

Enrollment: 32 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects with a confirmed (via MRI) disc herniation at between L4 and S1 level;
• Subjects exhibiting lumbar radiating pain in the lower extremity for at least 3 months
• Subjects with a positive straight leg raise with symptoms reproduction

Exclusion criteria

• indication for surgical intervention;
• had a confirmed disc herniation at other lumbar levels;
• have had any other spinal conditions such as spinal tumors or spondylolisthesis;
• had received treatment for this condition by a physical therapist the previous 6 month;
• pregnancy

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

Motor control exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients will receive 8 sessions of motor control exercise program of 30 min duration for 4 weeks, twice per week. Exercises will be demonstrated to the participants by an experienced physical therapist. On each session, the therapist will correct each subject personally. Participants will be asked for practicing the exercises at home once daily for 20 minutes over the 8-week intervention period. The motor control exercise program will consist of a progression from isolated contraction of the transversus abdominis and/or isolated contraction of the multifidi to combined contraction of both transversus abdominis in different positions from supine or prone to bridging or four-point kneeling.

Treatment:

Other: Motor Control Exercises

Motor control exercise plus neurodynamic intervention

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive 8 sessions of motor control exercise program of 30 min duration for 4 weeks, twice per week. Exercises will be demonstrated to the participants by an experienced physical therapist. On each session, the therapist will correct each subject personally. Participants will be asked for practicing the exercises at home once daily for 20 minutes over the 8-week intervention period. The motor control exercise program will consist of a progression from isolated contraction of the transversus abdominis and/or isolated contraction of the multifidi to combined contraction of both transversus abdominis in different positions from supine or prone to bridging or four-point kneeling. In addition, participants allocated to the neurodynamic group will also receive a nerve neurodynamic slider intervention targeting the main trunk of the sciatic nerve of the affected side during al treatment sessions (n=8).

Treatment:

Other: Motor Control Exercise Plus Neurodynamic Intervention