Positional Distraction and Stabilization Exercises in Adults With Lumbar Radiculopathy.

Experimental-controlled, Randomized, Single Blind Trial of Effectiveness of Positional Distraction With Stabilization Exercises Versus Stabilization Exercises Alone in the Management of Lumbar Radiculopathy.

This study evaluate the addition of positional distraction to stabilization exercises in the treatment of lumbar radiculopathy in adults. Half of the patients will recieve positional distraction and stabilization exercises in combination, while the other half will recieve stabilization exercises only.

In positioanl distraction making use of the body position to produce traction at an isolated spinal level to maximally open the affected neuroforamen. It is an alternative to lumbar mechanical traction. The spinal level of vertebral level requiring traction is palpated and a soft roll is placed and the patient side lies on the unaffected side. For further distraction both hips are flexed until movement is noted at the spinal level needing traction. Further, distraction applied by rotating upper trunk to opposite side of pain. Stabilization exercises are mainly used for the stability of joints and for improving muscle strength. The first step of lumbar stabilization exercises are to maintain functional back positions during all activities. The second step is to improve strength and endurance of the core muscles.

All the patients will be randomly allocated into treatment and control groups 50 in experimental and 50 in control group. The treatment group will receive positional with stabilization exercises while the control group will be treated with stabilization exercises only.

The patients were blinded from the treatment groups that either he/she are in experimental or control group.

the experimental group received positional distraction plus stabilization exercises and the control group received stabilization exercises only.

The pain intensity measured on self reported Visual Analogue Scale. (0 means no pain and 10 is the high intensity of pain).

The disability were assessed on Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire. where 0 means no disability and 24 is the high disability.

Inclusion Criteria: Clinical diagnosis of lumbar radiculopathy Age limit 30-50 years Both males and females Pain history more than 12 weeks but less than one year Patient having lumbar disc bulge at maximum two adjacent levels Exclusion Criteria: Any type of tumor and infection in the spine Spondylolisthesis at L4- L5, L5-S1 Fracture of the lumbar spine Sciatica other than lumbar region (piriformis syndrome) Acute cardiopulmonary conditions Morbid obesity (BMI > 30)