Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Approaches in the Management of Radicular Low Back Pain: A Review of the Evidence and Current Recommendations

Low back pain is one of the most frequently encountered musculoskeletal diseases and in almost half of the patients, it may result from lumbar disc pathologies. The mainstay of the management of patients with lumbar disc pathologies is conservative treatment. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) approaches and pain relieving medications are usually sufficient for the comprehensive management of patients suffering from low back pain resulting from disc pathologies for relief of symptoms, improving function, and promoting participation and quality of life. The aim of this review is to overview systematic reviews relevant to the subject in order to present available evidence of effectiveness regarding PMR approaches in the treatment of radicular low back pain and to make evidence-based recommendations for the contemporary management of the condition. A large number of relevant systematic reviews reveal evidence of effectiveness for PMR interventions that range from education, exercise, physical agents, and multidisciplinary treatments to complementary and alternative medicine treatments in the management of radicular low back pain. Evidence-based PMR practices will increase successful treatment outcomes in the management of this frequently encountered and multifaceted health condition. Turk J Phys Med Rehab 2013;59:57-68.