Background/aim: The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients conditioned by their health status is a result of both their subjective perception of the disease and their objective health status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients under conservative treatment by means of generic and another lumbar syndrome specific questionnaires.
Methods: A total of 50 patients (33 males, 17 females average age 46.1 years,) under conservative treatment in a hospital over four weeks were included in the study. They were interviewed using two questionnaires: the SF36 (Short form (36) Health Survey) generic questionnaire measuring eight domains of their quality of life summarized into two main ones (i.e. overall physical and overall mental health), and the lumbar syndrome specific North American Spine Society--Low Back Pain Outcome Instrument (NASS LBP), a questionnaire measuring four domains (functional limitations, motor and sensitive neurological symptoms, expectations from the treatment and satisfaction with it).
Results: The values of physical health domain was low as 31.1 at the beginning of the treatment, were rising over the following six months and dropped insignificantly after four years (42.1/48.7 /47.0) The mental health values (47.2) did not alter as compared to that of the general population. A values of the quality of life stabilized within six months. The neurological symptoms domain did not correlate with other value scales and domains.
Conclusion: The quality of life of lumbar radiculopathy patients was impaired only from its physical aspect, but after conservative treatment it improved over the following six months. After four years there is an insignificant drop of all quality of life values, indicating a need for a longer term monitoring of their patients.