Vojta Therapy and Conservative Physical Therapy versus Physical Therapy Only for Lumbar Disc Protrusion: A Comparative Cohort Study from Romania

Abstract

Background: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common condition caused by degenerative lesions of the lumbar intervertebral discs, due to aging or lifting weights. For patients with LDH, a comparative study was conducted to understand the benefits of Vojta therapy and conservative physical therapy versus physical therapy only. The aim of this paperwork was to help physicians select interventions which are most appropriate for this disease. Methods: Seventy-seven patients with LDH from two cohorts were included in analysis (Group A and Group B). Group A benefited from 30 min of Vojta therapy procedures, in addition to the usual physical therapy treatment, and group B received a conservatory physical therapy program. The subjects were assessed with the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), mobility tests, muscle strength tests and the Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaire. Results: Pain intensity and disability decreased in both groups (p = 0.000 in experimental group and 0.047 in control group for VAS score and p = 0.000 for ODI score in both groups). Moreover, mobility, strength and health-related quality of life scores increased significantly both in groups A and B (p = 0.000 in both). Conclusions: After two weeks of interventions, we saw greater differences in pain intensity, disability level, mobility, strength, and health-related quality of life scores in both study groups, but not across the groups. This was not the case between the groups.

Critical review of the evidence for Vojta Therapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…These studies were conducted in South Korea ( 47 ), Spain ( 48 , 49 ), Poland ( 50 ), and Romania ( 51 ).…”

“…A total of 180 participants included both men and women. The main measurement variables related to improvements in postural control, functionally, disability, and pain of VT were: the thickness of the abdominal muscles, the area of the diaphragm during inspiration and expiration ( 47 ), pain intensity ( 48 , 49 , 51 ), range of motion and strength, quality of life ( 48 , 51 ), disability, flexibility, and radiculopathy ( 49 ), and gait parameters ( 50 ).…”

Clinical effects and biological mechanisms of exercise on lumbar disc herniation

“…Exercise has a multifaceted positive impact on the clinical outcome of LDH. Firstly, exercise could effectively reduce pain ( Shen et al, 2009 ; França et al, 2013 ; Gulsen et al, 2019 ; Khanzadeh et al, 2020 ; Xu et al, 2020 ; Selim et al, 2022 ; Yildirim and Gultekin, 2022 ; Zhou et al, 2022 ; Iosub et al, 2023 ; Taşpınar et al, 2023 ), improve lumbar spine motion limitation ( Zhou et al, 2022 ; Iosub et al, 2023 ), and significantly increase lumbar spine range of motion during forward flexion and backward extension. Secondly, exercise could be effective in improving quality of life, mental health, or sleep status ( Javaheri et al, 2011 ; Taşpınar et al, 2023 ) so that patients could maintain a positive and sunny attitude towards the disease without exacerbating the severity of the disease activity or particular symptoms.…”