The effect of supervised exercise intervention program on the quality of life, disability, anxiety, and depression in post-lumbar discectomy patients

Vollständiger Abstract

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Introduction Lumbar discectomy is commonly performed to relieve nerve root compression, but many patients experience ongoing pain and disability post-surgery. Supervised physiotherapy may improve these outcomes, though its benefits remain underexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of a physiotherapy program on quality of life, pain, disability, anxiety, and depression after lumbar discectomy. Methods A Quasi-Experimental Study was conducted involving 34 patients (17 males, 17 females; mean age 48.38 ± 6.88 years). A simple block randomisation method with a block size of four was applied. Participants were randomly allocated to a supervised group (n = 17), which received a supervised physiotherapy exercise program (breathing, strengthening, and stretching exercises), or to a home-based exercise group (n = 17), which received advice only. Quality of life, pain intensity, disability, anxiety, and depression were assessed at baseline, after six weeks, and at a four-week follow-up using the Short Form-36, Visual Analogue Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively. The normality of data distribution was assessed using the Shapiro–Wilk test and visual inspection of histograms. When the ANOVA showed a significant effect, Bonferroni post-hoc tests were applied to identify pairwise differences. Results Repeated-measures ANOVA showed significant improvements over time in all instruments (p < 0.01). Significant time × group interactions were observed for pain, disability, depression, and several quality-of-life domains, indicating greater improvements in the supervised group. Between-group comparisons also favoured the supervised group for pain, disability, and depression (all p < 0.01), demonstrating the effectiveness of the physiotherapy intervention. Conclusions The physiotherapy program effectively enhances recovery following lumbar discectomy and should be integrated into standard postoperative care.