Telerehabilitation Program in Lumbar Disc Herniation

March 25, 2026 updated by: Neslihan Altuntas Yilmaz, Necmettin Erbakan University

Development of a Telerehabilitation-Based Exercise and Monitoring Program and Its Effectiveness Compared With a Brochure-Based Home Exercise Program in Patients With Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of this study was to develop an asynchronous, web-based telerehabilitation exercise and monitoring program and to compare its effectiveness with a traditional brochure-based home exercise program in patients with lumbar disc herniation. The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial including 46 participants who were allocated into two groups: a telerehabilitation group and a brochure-based exercise group.

Both groups participated in a structured 4-week home exercise program. The telerehabilitation group received exercise guidance and follow-up through a web-based digital platform, which enabled remote monitoring of exercise adherence and patient-reported outcomes. The brochure group performed the same exercises using printed instructional materials.

Participants were evaluated before and after the intervention using standardized and validated assessment tools, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for functional disability, the SF-12 for quality of life, and tests for static and dynamic lumbar muscle strength and endurance.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

his study is a randomized controlled clinical trial designed to compare two different delivery methods of a home-based exercise program in patients diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation. The primary focus of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-based telerehabilitation exercise and monitoring program compared with a traditional brochure-based home exercise program.

A total of 46 eligible participants are randomly assigned into two groups: a telerehabilitation group and a brochure-based exercise group. Both groups follow the same structured home exercise program for a duration of four weeks, consisting of standardized exercises performed three times per week.

Participants in the telerehabilitation group access exercise instructions through a web-based digital platform that includes video demonstrations, written guidance, and remote monitoring features. The platform allows participants to record their exercise sessions and enables physiotherapists to monitor adherence and provide feedback when necessary. The intervention is delivered asynchronously, without real-time interaction.

Participants in the brochure group receive printed materials containing the same exercises, including visual and written instructions. Initial instruction is provided face-to-face, after which participants continue the exercise program independently at home.

Outcome assessments are conducted before and after the intervention by a physiotherapist who is blinded to group allocation. Evaluations include pain intensity, functional disability, quality of life, and lumbar muscle strength and endurance, using standardized and validated measurement tools.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
46

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Meram
      • Konya, Meram, Turkey (Türkiye), 42090
        • Necmettin Erbakan University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged between 18 and 65 years
  • Diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation by a specialist physician
  • Presence of bulging or protrusion stage lumbar disc herniation
  • Willing to participate and provide informed consent
  • Having basic smartphone or computer skills and access to the internet (for the telerehabilitation group

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of spinal surgery
  • Presence of extruded or sequestered lumbar disc herniation
  • Visual or hearing impairment that may affect participation
  • Presence of spinal tumors
  • Communication or cognitive problems preventing participation
  • Inability to understand Turkish

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Telerehabilitation Group
Participants received a web-based telerehabilitation exercise and monitoring program including video-guided exercises, remote monitoring of adherence, and asynchronous follow-up via a digital platform.
Other: Web-Based Telerehabilitation Exercise Program
Participants performed a structured home exercise program delivered through a web-based telerehabilitation platform. The program included video-guided exercises, written instructions, and asynchronous remote monitoring. Participants recorded their exercise sessions, and physiotherapists monitored adherence and provided feedback through the digital system. The intervention was conducted for 4 weeks, 3 days per week, with 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise.
Active Comparator: Brochure Group
Participants received a brochure-based home exercise program including printed instructions and visual materials, with initial face-to-face instruction and no remote monitoring.
Other: Brochure-Based Home Exercise Program
Participants performed the same structured home exercise program using printed brochures that included visual and written instructions. Exercises were initially demonstrated face-to-face, and participants continued independently at home without remote monitoring. The program was applied for 4 weeks, 3 days per week, with 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain intensity assessed by Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks

Pain intensity assessed by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

Pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-cm scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores represent greater pain severity. The assessment includes overall pain, pain at rest, pain during activity, and night pain.

[Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks]Pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-cm scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. Higher scores represent greater pain severity. The assessment includes overall pain, pain at rest, pain during activity, and night pain.
Baseline and after 4 weeks
Functional disability (ODI)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks

Functional disability assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

Functional disability measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), a questionnaire consisting of 10 items scored from 0 to 5, with a total score ranging from 0 to 50. Higher scores indicate greater disability.
Baseline and after 4 weeks
Quality of life (SF-12)
Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks

Quality of life assessed by the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12)

Quality of life measured using the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), which generates physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summary scores ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.
Baseline and after 4 weeks
Static trunk muscle endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks

Static trunk muscle endurance assessed using Diener's trunk muscle test

Static trunk muscle endurance measured using Diener's (1992) trunk muscle test, expressed as the duration (seconds) the participant maintains the trunk flexion position until the inferior angle of the scapula lifts off the surface. The maximum score is 30 seconds. Higher values indicate greater trunk muscle endurance.
Baseline and after 4 weeks
Dynamic trunk muscle endurance
Time Frame: Baseline and after 4 weeks

Dynamic trunk muscle endurance assessed using Diener's trunk muscle test

Dynamic trunk muscle endurance measured using Diener's (1992) trunk muscle test, expressed as the number of complete trunk flexion repetitions performed within 30 seconds. Higher values indicate greater trunk muscle endurance.
Baseline and after 4 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Necmettin Erbakan University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
May 1, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 25, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 25, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • NEU-PT2025-05
  • 24YL30002 (Other Identifier: Necmettin Erbakan University Scientific Research Projects Coordinatorship)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be publicly shared due to privacy and confidentiality concerns. The data contain potentially identifiable information and are protected under ethical and institutional regulations. However, de-identified data may be made available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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