A clinical prediction rule to classify patients with chronic low back pain who demonstrate improvement from mechanical lumber traction / Marwa Saleh Ghoneim ; Supervised Nahed Ahmed Salem , Mohamed Elsayed Elawady , Rasha Mohamed Elrewainy

Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Physical Therapy - Department of Physical Therapy for Neuromuscular and Neurosurgery

Background: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is one of the most common back pain injury or musculoskeletal disorders. Although mechanical lumber traction (MLT) has been used for back pain management, there are few clinical prediction rule researches that identify a subgroup likely to respond to it. Purpose: to develop a clinical prediction rule for identifying patients with chronic low back pain, who improved with mechanical lumbar traction. Subjects: Sixty patients diagnosed as having CLBP due to lumbar disc bulge or herniation, with age ranged between 45-60 years participated in the study. Method: a prospective cohort study was conducted inoutpatient clinic, faculty of physical therapy and AlKasr Al Aini Hospital, Cairo University. Patients were assessed before and after treatment usingModified Oswestry Disability Index (MODI). They received three sessions of MLT per 9 days. The patients whose (MODI) score decreased at more than 10 degrees of that at the initial evaluation were defined as responders. Results: the results showed that only one variable out of the six determined variables set ( weight, height, BMI, sex, site of pain and baseline MODI score) was significant predictor for improvement on MODI which is baseline MODI score (preMODI score) with a positive likelihood ratio, 1.53. Conclusion: It was concluded that, Although pre MODI score was determined as a predictor variable, this CPR could not be considered as a useful tool for clinical decision making of providing MLT for patients with CLBP

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