Article

Low back pain resulting from lumbar disc herniation is a common reason for
referral for physical therapy. There is no evidence to support the management of
lumbar disc herniation and derangement using mechanical traction combined with
lumbar extension exercises. Therefore, the purpose of this case report was to
describe and discuss the use of mechanical traction in conjunction with lumbar
extension exercises for a patient with a lumbar herniated disc. The patient was a
49-year-old male referred to physical therapy with a medical diagnosis of a
lumbar herniated disc at L5-S1 with compression of the L5 nerve root confirmed by
MRI. The patient's chief complaint was pain over the left lumbosacral and central
lumbar region with radiating pain into the left buttock accompanied by numbness
and tingling in the left lower leg and foot. The patient was seen for a total of
14 visits. The first 5 days (2 weeks) of therapy consisted of lumbar extension
exercises. For the following nine visits (over a 3-week period), mechanical
traction was added as an adjunct to the extension exercises. Outcome measures
included the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire, Back Pain Function Scale (BPFS),
and the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Results from initial evaluation to
discharge (Oswestry: 36% to 0%; BPFS: 33/60 to 57/60; NPRS: 7/10 to 0/10)
demonstrated that the patient no longer experienced low back pain and improved in
terms of functional status and pain-related disability. The patient no longer
complained of numbness and tingling in the left lower extremity and the goals for
the patient had been attained. The data from this case report suggests lumbar
extension exercises in conjunction with mechanical traction facilitated the
patient's improvement in pain and return to prior level of function.

Langue : ANGLAIS