The effects of infrared laser therapy and weightbath traction hydrotherapy in disorders of the lumbar spine: a controlled pilot study with follow-up

Abstract

Introduction: The therapeutic modalities available for the conservative management of chronic lumbar pain included infrared laser therapy and underwater traction, which usefulness is not universally acknowledged. This study was intended to ascertain any benefi cial impact of infrared laser therapy and weightbath treatment on the clinical aprameters and quality of life of patients with lumbar discopathy. Material and methods: The study population comprised 54 randomised subjects. I. group of 18 patents received only infrared laser therapy to lumbar region and painful Valley points. II. Group of 18 subjects each received underwater traction therapy of lumbar spine with add-on McKenzie exercise and iontophoresis. The remaining III. Group treated with exercise and iontophoresis, served as control. VAS, Oswestry index, SF36 scores, range of motion, neurological fi ndings and thermography were monitored to appraise therapeutic affi cacy in lumbar discopathy. A CT or MRI scan was done at baseline and after 3 months follow-up. Result: infrared laser therapy and underwater traction for discopathy achieved signifi cant improvement of all study parameters, which was evident 3 months later. Among the controls, signifi - cant improvement of only a single parameter was seen in patients with lumbar disco pathy. Conclusions: infrared laser therapy and underwater traction treatment effectively mitigate pain, muscle spasms, enhance joint fl exibility, and improve the quality of life of patients with lumbar discopathy. DOI: 10.17489/biohun/2010/1/21