Background: The study aimed to determine the outcome of Multidisciplinary physiotherapist-led conservative treatment of lumbar disc herniation at an in-patient set-up of a specialized spine center in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of 228 cases completing treatment and follow-up sessions. The outcome was evaluated as pain at rest and five different functional positions, neurological recovery, and Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes during discharge and follow-up.
Results: 80.3% had a complete recovery with a typical motor and sensory status, no limitations in straight leg raise (SLR), no cauda equina symptom (CES), and no or <3 pain during more than 30 minutes of daily living activities. Statistically significant changes were noted at all outcome measures at the follow-up (day 90), compared to baseline (day 1) P<0.01. In the posthoc tests, pain, SLR, and CES had the most significant improvement at discharge (day 12) compared to the baseline (P < 0.01) and at follow-up compared to discharge (P < 0.01). No major adverse events noted.
Conclusion: Physiotherapist-led in-patient treatment results in significant resting and functional pain outcomes in 12 days. Also, the improvements in neurological recovery and normalizing disc position are statistically significant in 90 days.
Keywords: conservative treatment; lumbar disc herniation; multidisciplinary; physiotherapy.
© 2023 Hossain et al.