Physiotherapy for Sciatica: Is Earlier Better?

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Topic: Musculoskeletal disorders; Subtopic: Musculoskeletal (all Subtopics); Disease: Musculoskeletal; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Sciatica

• Registration Number: ISRCTN25018352
• Lead Sponsor: orthern General Hospital

Brief Summary

2017 protocol in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28259854 2018 results in: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30056385 [added 25/04/2019]

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2015-12-10
• Study Completion: 2018-02-01
• Last Update Posted: 13 May 2019

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 80

Inclusion Criteria

1. Aged between 18 and 70 years of age
2. Presence of unilateral lumbar radicular syndrome (defined as pain and or sensory disturbance and or weakness in a dermatomal and/or myotmal distribution)

Exclusion Criteria

1. Bilateral lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS)
2. Patients with ‘red flag’ signs and symptoms of potential serious pathology
3. Cancer at the time of the study
4. Proven vascular claudication
5. Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES)
6. Spinal fracture within the last 3 months
7. Chronic regional pain syndromes
8. Recent lower limb fracture
9. CVA with physical and/or psychiatric disability
10. Poor English skills (necessitating the use of an interpreter and invalidating outcomes measures­-ODI as well as increasing costs)
11. Other significant co­morbidities preventing regular attendance at physiotherapy clinics
12. Patients with significant mental health problems for which treatment adherence may be difficult or psychologically disabling (at the discretion of the referring G.P)

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<br> 1. Recruitment rate is determined at 26 weeks<br> 2. Attrition rate is determined at 26 weeks<br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<br> 1. Feasibility measures for a future, full-scale trial include attrition rates, recruitment rate, acceptability of the intervention to patient and clinician, patient adherence to the intervention and will be measured with monthly report and analysis<br> 2. Oswestry Disability Index will be used to assess self-rated disability at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 26 weeks<br> 3. Pain will be measured using the VAS pain scale for back and leg pain at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 26 weeks<br> 4. General health status will be measured using the EQ5D-5L tool at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 26 weeks<br>