Exercise, manipulation and traction physiotherapy in the conservative management of lumbar disc herniation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a leading cause of global back pain with significant socioeconomic impact. Conservative physiotherapy, including exercise, manipulation, and traction therapies, is a common first-line treatment. However, their relative efficacy and applicability to specific subgroups remain unclear.

Research question

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the efficacy of these three modalities, identified factors influencing variability, and explored subgroup-specific applications.

Material and methods

Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted with searches of PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, OVID, Scopus, and grey literature. Forty-three studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and 20 in the meta-analysis

SUBMITTER: Thavarajasingam SG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12595123 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature