Effect of spinal decompression on the lumbar muscle activity and disk height in patients with herniated intervertebral disk.
Jeong-Il Kang, Dae-Keun Jeong, Hyun Choi
PMID 27942133WHAT IT FOUND
Disk height did not change significantly after either decompression or traction plus trunk stabilization exercise.
The decompression group had a significant decrease in disk herniation index, but both groups also did trunk stabilization.
Key findings
01Disk height at L4 and L5 did not change significantly after 3 weeks in either group.
02The disk herniation index fell from 284 ± 12.3 to 198 ± 22.6 in the decompression group, and this change differed significantly from the traction group.
03Both groups showed significant increases in rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and external oblique activity, and significant decreases in erector spine activity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study included only 31 patients at one medical institution and lasted 3 weeks, so it is small and short-term. Both groups received trunk stabilization exercise, so the contribution of decompression or traction alone cannot be separated. The paper measured baseline Oswestry Disability Index scores but the supplied text does not report post-treatment disability results. The paper does not describe blinding or allocation concealment. The authors note that the study period was short and patients' daily lives were not controlled.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the disk herniation index change as evidence that spinal decompression alone works. Both groups also received trunk stabilization exercise, disk height did not change significantly, and the supplied text does not report ODI results.