A STUDY TO COMPARE DIFFERENT DURATIONS OF LUMBAR TRACTION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS WITH LOW BACK PAIN

Parupalli Kavya Sri*1, Eswar Reddy Kolli2 and Christie Kiran Gotru3

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: Low back pain (LBP) is one of the most common complaints in the general population, affecting about 70-80% of the population at some point in life. LBP management comprises a wide range of different intervention strategies. One of the treatment options for LBP that has been used for thousands of years is traction therapy, the application of force that draws two adjacent bones apart from each other in order to increase their joint space. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two different hold and rest time combinations with 60s hold and 10s rest, 80s hold and 20s rest i.e., effects of different durations of lumbar traction in the treatment of Low back pain. In low back pain conservative management such as lumbar traction, strengthening training, stretching is said to be effective. However, there are no studies in the literature on the effectiveness of lumbar traction durations on low back pain. Purpose of the study is to know about the effectiveness of different durations of lumbar traction to reduce disability, and pain in patients with low back pain. Methodology: A total number of forty subjects who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were recruited in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups of 15 each. Group A received intermittent lumbar traction of 60 second hold with 10 second rest. Group B received traction of 80second hold with 20 second rest. 5 days a week for 4 weeks. The scores of Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire, VAS (visual analogue scale) were used to measure disability and pain from the subjects before and after four weeks after the intervention. Result: Both the groups Group A and Group B showed improvements after four weeks of intervention. Group B with a longer hold and rest times i.e., 80second hold with 20second rest showed a higher statistical significance with a value (P< 0.0001) when measured with Modified Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire and Visual Analog Scale. Conclusion: Based on the above results group with longer hold and rest times i.e., Group B (80s hold with 20s) rest showed greater improvements in reduction in disability scores and pain in patients with low back pain when outcome was measured with Modified Oswestry Disability index Thus the present study concludes that intermittent lumbar traction with longer hold and rest times i.e., 80s hold and 20s rest(Group B) is more effective in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral disc prolapsed condition in low back pain.

Keywords: Intervertebral Disc Prolapse, Intermittent Lumbar Traction, Hold and Rest time.