Efficacy of McKenzie Manipulative Therapy on Pain, Functional Activity and Disability for Lumbar Disc Herniation

Abstract

Introduction: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common determinant of low back pain (LBP) and priority for cost-effective therapeutic approach is necessary. The objective of the study was to explore the effectiveness of McKenzie Manipulative Therapy (MMT) for patients with LDH. Methodology: This was an assessor blinded, 36-month RCT, at Center for Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed (CRP) in Savaar, Bangladesh. Seventy-two subjects, ages 28-47 years and clinically diagnosed with MRI findings of LDH, were randomly recruited from hospital records and sixty-eight found eligible. The control group received stretching exercise and graded oscillatory mobilization, and the experimental group received McKenzie manipulative therapy for 12 sessions in 4 weeks, both groups received a standard set of care also. The pain was the primary outcome and the secondary outcome was participation in functional activities and disability. Results: Pain and Disability found significant improvement in both groups, with the McKenzie approach significantly superior to the control group (p<.05). Bothersome in Activities (SBI) reported significantly lower post report compared to baseline for both groups (p<.01). McKenzie showed significantly superior outcomes for fear avoidance (FABQ) total and SBI feeling of abnormal sensation in leg compared to the control group (p <.05). Conclusion: The McKenzie manipulative therapy approach was found to be effective for pain, disability and participation in activities for single or multiple level LDH patients in a short time from day 1 to week 4, and the treatment effect extends after 6 months. Clinical Trial Registration No.: CTRI/2020/ 04/024667.