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ISSN 2063-5346
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EFFECT OF REPETITIVE TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION ON PATIENTS WITH LUMBAR RADICULOPATHY

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Mona A. Elsheikh, Gehan M. Ahmed, Waleed T. Mansour, Ahmed S. Ali, Eman Hamed, Nevine M. El Nahas
» doi: 10.48047/ecb/2023.12.7.246

Abstract

Lumbosacral radiculopathy is a pain condition that occurs when nerve roots in the lower back are compressed or irritated. Depending on which nerve root(s) are affected, patients may experience a range of symptoms that impact the corresponding dermatome or myotome. Objective: To determine the efficacy of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in improving pain of unilateral lumbar radiculopathy. Subjects and Methods: fifty-three patients of both sexes were recruited from the outpatient clinic of Ain Shams Hospital, Ain Shams University, Egypt. Their ages ranged from 20 to 45 years. Patients suffered from persistent unilateral pain in the sciatic nerve distribution. Patients had been assigned into two groups. rTMS (repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) group included 28 patients, 20 patients (active rTMS) received real rTMS and 8 patients (control rTMS) received sham rTMS. All techniques were combined with conventional physical therapy program of discogenic back pain management. The two groups were assessed by the two assessment scales (Visual Analogue Scale and Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire) and the goniometer for hip and trunk flexion before, intermediate (after 2 weeks), and after treatment (after 4 weeks). Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was conducted before treatment just to exclude patients who had pain due to depression. Each patient in both Groups received 6 sessions of rTMS (real or sham) every other day, the duration of each session was 20 minutes, in addition to 12 sessions of the conventional physical therapy program were performed every other day for 4 weeks. Results: The statistical analysis of (rTMS Group) revealed that there weren't any significant differences between pre and post-treatment for all study variables (VAS, hip flexion ROM, trunk flexion ROM, and ODQ), as well as the sham group. This indicating that there is no statistical significant differences between pre and post treatment which revealed that rTMS combined with traditional physical therapy has no statistical effect on pain due to lumber radiculopathy. Conclusion: rTMS, hasn't any statistically effect on reliving pain due to lumber radiculopathy.

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