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Exercise After Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery

The Necessity and Timing of Exercise After Lumbar Disc Herniation Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06046781
Enrollment
204
Registered
2023-09-21
Start date
2023-04-01
Completion date
2023-09-07
Last updated
2023-09-21

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Disc Herniation, Surgery

Keywords

Lumbar disc herniation, Lumbar microdiscectomy, physical exercise

Brief summary

Physical therapy and rehabilitation may improve low back pain and quality of life after lumbar disc herniation. But there is not any agreement of its optimal start time, and rehabilitative methods. This study evaluates the effects of early and late rehabilitation to the low back pain and quality of life following unilateral microdiscectomy.

Detailed description

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a frequently encountered ailment in neurosurgery clinics and is prevalent among the general populace, with a reported incidence of about 2%. As it is primarily observed in the workforce, it adversely affects their quality of life. One common reason for referring a patient for surgery is radiculopathy and low back pain co-occurrence. LDH is typically observed in the adult population in active occupation. Most patients with LDH can be treated conservatively, but surgery may be necessary for around 13% of cases. The decision to operate depends on the individual patient, but persistent radicular pain and neurological dysfunction unresponsive to conservative treatment are common indications. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are becoming more prevalent. Currently, microsurgery is the most common approach for lumbar disc herniation. In addition, endoscopic and minimally invasive surgeries have become more prevalent. Lumbar microdiscectomy is a surgical procedure involving discectomy with paravertebral muscle dissection. Subsequently, patients may experience postoperative back pain, potentially impacting their quality of life. Physical rehabilitation is frequently suggested following surgery. Some studies have indicated that physical therapy and rehabilitation may not significantly improve low back pain and quality of life after lumbar disc herniation. There is yet to be an agreement on the effectiveness of physical therapy, its optimal start time, and rehabilitative methods. This study evaluates the effects of early and late rehabilitation following unilateral microdiscectomy for lumbar disc herniation. It also examines the differences in low back pain and patients' quality of life due to exercise.

Interventions

OTHERphysical exercise

The patients were randomized into 5 groups as control group, walking at 2 weeks, walking at 4 weeks, waist exercise at 2 weeks, waist exercise at 4 weeks.

Sponsors

Istanbul Medeniyet University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

A total of 204 patients who underwent surgery for lumbar disc herniation were included and subsequently randomized into five groups. One group served as the control and was advised not to participate in any postoperative exercise. The remaining groups were recommended different exercises, which began at various times after surgery.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* radicular pain that persisted despite 4-6 weeks of conservative treatment, * detection of single-level disc herniation in MRI lumbar microsurgery. * Individuals who underwent single-level unilateral lumbar microsurgery. Those with a surgical incision \<3 cm.

Exclusion criteria

* Individuals with more than one level of muscle exposure at the time of surgery. * those with a skin incision \>3 cm

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Affect on back pain0 - 1 Months in the post-operative periodDifferent effects of early and late rehabilitation to the low back pain following unilateral microdiscectomy. Pain status will be evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026