Abstract
The prolapsed intervertebral disc (PIVD) at the lumbar spine is one of the most common causes of low back pain (LBP) affecting humans worldwide. Lumbar traction is widely used as a part of physiotherapeutic modalities for its treatment; however, reports on its effectiveness and dosage are conflicting. This study is aimed at comparing the acute effects of three traction forces on the straight leg raise (SLR) test and LBP intensity. A total of 45 (age 35.53 yrs., ±3.09) participants with 15 participants in each group were recruited for the study. Participants were divided into groups A, B, and C wherein traction forces equal to one-fifth, one-third, and one-half of their bodyweight were applied, respectively. SLR range of motion (ROM) and pain were examined before and immediately after the application of traction. Significant improvement was observed in SLR ROM in all three groups (p < 0.05). However, for pain, significant improvement (p < 0.05) was observed only in the group with one-half of bodyweight force. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the three groups for both variables. All three forces were equally effective in immediately improving SLR ROM in patients suffering from lumbar PIVD; however, pain improvement was observed with one-half of bodyweight only.
Highlights
Around 70% of adults suffer from low back pain (LBP) in their lifetime [1]
The Shapiro-Wilk test of normality showed a normal distribution for all demographic and independent variables data (SLR and visual analog scale (VAS); df = 15, p > 0:05) except for BMI in group B and baseline VAS values in all three groups
The Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed a significant improvement in straight leg raise (SLR) degrees in all three groups (p < 0:05) (Table 4, Figure 2)
Summary
Around 70% of adults suffer from low back pain (LBP) in their lifetime [1] It is one of the most common health problems affecting humans worldwide [1]. Nerve root involvement is associated with more severe symptoms, more risk of chronicity, more work absence, and higher healthcare costs such as direct treatment costs, disability benefits, and insurance [5, 6]. Both surgical and nonsurgical treatments are available for disc prolapse, but nonsurgical treatment is recommended initially in most cases. Physical therapy treatment for PIVD includes mobilization exercise, spinal manipulation, strengthening exercises, mechanical traction, and other electrotherapeutic modalities
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