Effect of Immediate Verses Standard Physiotherapy Treatment in Post Micro-Discectomy

Abstract

There is different type of literature available about the rehabilitation after lumbar micro-discectomy, but there is little mention about early physical therapy intervention. The aim of the current study is to explore the effects of immediate physical therapy intervention compared to standard physical therapy intervention in post lumbar micro-discectomy patients. Research objective was to determine immediate physical therapy intervention makes patient to become functionally mobile more independently after lumbar micro-discectomy. A randomized, single blind, control trial was conducted on 30 post discectomy patients, recruited from Inpatient Department of Neuro-surgery, Shifa International Hospital. The sample was randomly allocated to intervention and control groups. The intervention group was made to do exercises and mobilization after 6 hours’ post-surgery, and the control group was made to do exercises and mobilization on the first postoperative day. The functional outcomes of both groups were assessed by Oswestry Disability Index post operatively. The data was analyzed through SPSS version 20. Total thirty patients with post micro-discectomy were included in this study and placed randomly into two groups. Range of oswestry disability scale was 14 -74%. Mean ± SD of oswestry disability scale of immediate mobilization group was 28.40 ± 5.99 while mean ± SD of oswestry disability scale of standard mobilization group was 42.80 ± 14.20. The difference was statistically significant; p-value was 0.001. It was concluded that immediate physical therapy intervention following lumbar micro-discectomy enables patients to become functionally mobile more independently and return to work earlier.