EFFECTS OF GRASTON INSTRUMENT SOFT TISSUE MOBILIZATION IN PATIENTS WITH SCIATIC NERVE ENTRAPMENT

Abstract

Background: Sciatica or more commonly sciatic nerve pain is characterized by low back pain that radiates down towards knee or below knee, paresthesia associated with tingling or numbness and weakness of muscles of foot and leg. Most important cause of sciatica is herniated disc which cause nerve root entrapment. Other causes may include lumbar stenosis or spinal tumors. The goal of the study is to determine the effects of graston instrument technique soft tissue mobilization in patients with sciatic nerve entrapment. Methods: Patients were recruited and allocated randomly in two groups. Group A (Lumbar traction with neural mobilization) and Group B (Graston technique along with lumbar traction and neural. 4 weeks of intervention were given to both groups. Results: The 4 weeks treatment session resulted in a significant improvement in pain reduction and improved MODI in patients of group B (Graston technique along with lumbar traction and neural mobilization), which was not more apparent in the group A (lumbar traction with neural mobilization manipulation group). Graston technique along with lumbar traction and neural mobilization was found to be more effective than lumbar traction and neural mobilization alone. Conclusion: This study concluded that Graston technique together with neural mobilization and lumbar traction was successful in alleviating pain and impairment in patients with sciatic nerve entrapment. Together with neural mobilization and lumbar traction, the Graston technique considered more superior to neural mobilization along with lumbar traction alone in terms of the aforementioned outcome measures dependent on means.