Abstract
Purpose To determine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with discogenic lumbar radiculopathy and correlation among pain intensity, functional disability, and lumbar range of motion (LROM). Study Design/Setting. A double-blind RCT was conducted at physical therapy departments of different hospitals of Islamabad, Pakistan. The study period was March 2020 to August 2021. Patient Sample. The study comprised 110 patients with acute LBP and unilateral discogenic lumbar radiculopathy. Outcome Measures. The outcomes of the treatment were measured on the first day and then after 18 sessions from each patient's pain intensity, functional disability, L-ROM, and straight leg raise by using visual analogue scale, Oswestry disability index, dual inclinometer, and straight leg raise test. Methods A total of 110 participants with a mean age of 38 ± 7.4 years were randomly assigned into two groups of 55 each. The experimental group of 55 patients was treated with LLLT and conventional physical therapy. The control group of 55 patients was treated with conventional physical therapy alone. Both groups had received 18 treatment sessions. The data were analyzed through SPSS-21.0. Results The results of the Wilcoxon signed-rank test score as well as Mann–Whitney U test indicated a statistically significant difference in values (p < 0.05 in all instances) within the groups and between the groups, respectively. Conclusions The LLLT is proved as an efficient adjunct therapy to conventional physical therapy for discogenic lumbar radiculopathy.
Highlights
Lumbar disc prolapse is a movement of disc material, that is, nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis out of the intervertebral disc space. e ruptured nucleus comes in contact with the nearby nerves, causing their compression that in turn results in severe radicular pain [1–5]
We aimed to suggest an appropriate and effective treatment proposal for patients with discogenic lumbar radiculopathy for level laser therapy (LLLT), which is one of the new treatment options
A double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted at physical therapy departments of three different hospitals, comprising data related to the 18month period from March 2020 to August 2021. e study sample size was calculated using (formula: n [z2 ∗p ∗ (1 – p)/e2]/[1 + (z2 ∗p ∗ (1 – p)/(e2 ∗N))], and a sample of 110 patients with acute low back pain and unilateral discogenic lumbar radiculopathy was obtained through nonprobability purposive sampling, who had symptoms for less than 4 weeks, confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Summary
Lumbar disc prolapse is a movement of disc material, that is, nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis out of the intervertebral disc space. e ruptured nucleus comes in contact with the nearby nerves, causing their compression that in turn results in severe radicular pain [1–5]. Lumbar disc prolapse is a movement of disc material, that is, nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis out of the intervertebral disc space. E ruptured nucleus comes in contact with the nearby nerves, causing their compression that in turn results in severe radicular pain [1–5]. E history, symptoms, and physical examination of the patient are the tools for diagnosis. Lumbar disc prolapse is one of the major risk factors for low back pain [4, 9, 12–15]. About 90% of disc prolapse occurs in the lumbar region (L4-L5 or L5-S1) [9–15]. The use of low-intensity lasers for physical therapy has been shown to significantly reduce pain with a variety of causes. To determine the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in patients with discogenic lumbar radiculopathy and correlation among pain intensity, functional disability, and lumbar range of motion (LROM). A double-blind RCT was conducted at physical therapy departments of different hospitals of Islamabad, Pakistan
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
