Efficacy and characteristics of physiotherapy interventions in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a systematic review.
Study Goal
To determine the efficacy of physiotherapy approaches, including weight-supported walking, in treating lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and compare their delivery characteristics.
Results Summary
Three weeks of weight-supported walking improved pain and disability in LSS patients, though the evidence was rated as very low. Six weeks of cycling reduced disability compared to weight-supported walking, with low evidence supporting this finding.
Population
Patients with clinical diagnosis of LSS confirmed through imaging techniques.
Effective Dosage
Not specified (intervention involved weight-supported walking).
Duration
3 weeks for weight-supported walking.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Three weeks of weight-supported walking | decrease | pain and disability | patients with LSS | - | improved | #1 |
8 weeks of aquatic exercises | increase | pain and walking tolerance | patients with LSS | - | improved | #2 |
Six weeks of cycling | decrease | disability | patients with LSS | - | reduced | #3 |
Six weeks of manual therapy plus exercise | no change | - | patients with LSS | - | was not superior | #4 |
Six weeks of manual therapy plus exercise | increase | pain, walking tolerance, disability and quality of life | patients with LSS | - | improved | #5 |
2 weeks of electromagnetic fields | neutral | - | patients with LSS | - | supported | #6 |
TENS | no change | - | patients with LSS | - | revealed no effects | #7 |
ultrasounds | no change | - | patients with LSS | - | revealed no effects | #8 |
PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of physiotherapy approaches used in the treatment of LSS and compare their delivery characteristics. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, PEDro, CINAHL and Web of Science databases, from inception until March 2021. Inclusion criteria were clinical diagnosis of LSS confirmed through imaging techniques, RCTs written in English comparing physiotherapy interventions among them or versus placebo or usual care without restrictions on treatment and follow-up duration, outcomes related to pain, physical function, disability and quality of life. Two independent reviewers assessed records for eligibility and methodological quality (PEDro scale) and extracted participants' characteristics, interventions details and outcome measures at each timepoint. Pooled or un-pooled findings were reported as mean difference with 95% confidence interval, depending on heterogeneity. Evidence quality was rated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Twelve studies (944 patients, mean PEDro score 7.6, range 5-9) were included. Three weeks of weight-supported walking improved pain and disability, while 8 weeks of aquatic exercises improved pain and walking tolerance (very low evidence). Six weeks of cycling reduced disability compared to weight-supported walking (low evidence). Six weeks of manual therapy plus exercise was not superior to supervised exercises (low evidence), but improved pain, walking tolerance, disability and quality of life compared to home/group exercises (moderate to very low evidence). Very low evidence supported 2 weeks of electromagnetic fields, whereas TENS (low evidence) and ultrasounds (very low evidence) revealed no effects. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may assist clinicians in delivering effective physiotherapy interventions in LSS patients.