Physical therapy good for microdiskectomy

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 2 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say patients undergoing lumbar disk herniation surgery enjoy significant function improvement after an intensive physical therapy program.

University of Southern California Associate Professor Kornelia Kulig, who led the research, said patients undergoing a single-level lumbar microdiskectomy experienced significant progress following a progressive physical therapist-guided exercise and education program.

Low back pain, the most prevalent musculoskeletal problem, can be caused by lumbar disk herniation that often results in surgery, researchers said. However, up to 35 percent of patients continue to have pain and impaired function after surgery, which may be related to the type of postoperative care they receive.

"These results suggest greater effectiveness of the current exercise program in reducing disability and improving walking performance than that expected from usual physical therapy," Kulig said. "An intensive 12-week strength and endurance training program of the trunk and lower-extremity musculature is safe and results in a greater reduction in disability and a greater increase in walking performance immediately following the intervention."

The study is reported in the November issue of the journal Physical Therapy.