Physical Therapy vs Surgical Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Launched by NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY · Sep 10, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at two different treatments for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis, a condition where the spaces in the lower back become narrow, causing pain and difficulty walking. The trial will compare structured physical therapy with surgical decompression, which is a procedure to relieve pressure on the nerves in the spine. Researchers want to find out if physical therapy can effectively help patients who might otherwise need surgery.

To be eligible for this trial, participants should be experiencing pain or discomfort when walking, have been suffering from these symptoms for over six months, and have been diagnosed with lumbar spinal stenosis through an MRI. They should also be physically fit enough to exercise and be candidates for surgery. If you join the study, you will receive one of the two treatments and be monitored to see how well each option works. This trial is currently recruiting participants of all genders, aged between 18 and 92. It's an opportunity to contribute to important research that could help others with similar conditions in the future.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Patients describing intermittent neurogenic claudication when walking and symptoms revealed by flexion of the spine.
• • MRI shows lumbar spinal stenosis in one or two levels measured.
• • The duration of the symptoms is longer than six months
• • The patient is a candidate for surgical treatment
• • The patient is capable of physical exercise
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Vascular intermittent claudication
• • Lumbar spinal stenosis in more than two levels
• • Previous low back surgery
• • Symptomatic lumbar disc herniation
• • Degenerative scoliosis with Cobbs angle 30 degrees or more
• • Degenerative spondylolisthesis grade 2 or more
• • Spondylolysis with spondylolisthesis
• • Recent osteoporotic fractures in the spine (last 6 month)
• • Severe symptomatic arthrosis in hip or knee
• • Locally advanced or metastatic cancer
• • ASA \>3
• • Polyneuropathy recognized by neurography
• • Insufficient Norwegian language skills