The effect of h-reflex directed physical therapy on acute and chronic discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy / Ahmed Shafek AbuElmakarem Shafea ; Supervised Alaaddin Abdelhakeem Balbaa , Hussiun Abdelzaher Abulkhit , Ghada Mohamed Rashad Koura

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Musculoskeletal Disorders

Background: Lumbosacral radiculopathy is a common problem in patients suffering from lumber disc prolapse with an incidence of five cases per 1000 adults in developed countries. It causes significant disability. The annual cost is estimated to be as high as 1, 18 billion dollars. Recently H-reflex directed physical therapy is used for treating discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy. Aim of study: Determining the prognosis of the discogenic radiculopathy patient when applying H-reflex directed physical therapy in acute or chronic stages of lumber discogenic radiculopathy on pain intensity, functional disability and amplitude of loading Hoffman reflex(H-reflex). Methods: Thirty patients from both sexes with unilateral radiculopathy due to lumber disc prolapse at L4-L5 and/or L5-Sl levels participated in this study. Their ages ranged from 25 to 45 years old. All patients were recruited to this study from outpatient orthopedic clinic,faculty of physical therapy , Cairo university, Egypt . They are divided into two groups, acute and chronic discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy groups,each one consists of fifteen patients. Each patient was evaluated by electromyography (EMG) to determine the optimal spinal posture (OSP). The Patients were evaluated pre and post treatment for sciatic pain by visual analogue scale (VAS), functional disability by oswestry disability index (ODI) and for the amplitude of loading H-reflex by EMG. Both groups received physical therapy program of postioning and mobilization in optimal spinal posture (OSP), core stability exercises and home program

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