Effect of Sciatic Nerve Neurodynamic Sliding on Pain, Disability, and Balance in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy

Effect of Sciatic Nerve Neurodynamic Sliding Technique on Pain, Disability, and Balance in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy

This study will be conducted to evaluate the effect of sciatic nerve slider mobilization on pain intensity. Also, to evaluate the impact of sciatic nerve mobilization on functional disability, and to determine the influence of sciatic nerve slider neurodynamics on functional balance performance.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Lumbar Radiculopathy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Selected conventional physical therapy program; Other: Sciatic nerve slider mobilization

Detailed Description

Radicular pain in lumbar radiculopathy is a mixture of nociceptive and neuropathic component. Several conservative treatments are available to treat lumbar radiculopathy: moderate evidence (Level B) of effectiveness for the conservative treatment: patient education and self-management, McKenzie method, mobilization and manipulation, exercise therapy, traction (short-term outcomes), neural mobilization, and epidural injections. Two interventions were identified to have weak evidence of effectiveness (Level C): traction for long-term outcomes and dry needling. Three interventions were identified to have conflicting or no evidence (Level D) of effectiveness: electro-diagnostic-based management, laser and ultrasound, and electrotherapy. The efficacy of individual treatment is controversial; a multimodal approach is recommended because it is more effective. However, little high-quality evidence supports the use of conservative treatment.

As well as being amongst the manual therapy techniques recommended to improve patients' pain and disability, neural mobilization (NM) has also been advocated as an analgesic treatment option. NMs are techniques that involve a specific sequence of joint movements to mobilize the involved peripheral nerve in order to enhance nerve gliding and reduce the neural mechanosensitivity.

This study will provide further insight into the efficacy of sciatic nerve neurodynamic Slider technique in reducing pain, improving functional outcomes, and balance, offering a cost-effective management strategy for affected individuals.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 28
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Abdelrahman El-Sayed, Master; Phone Number: 01091843750; Email: Tahaabdelrahman07@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Hoda Zayed, PHD; Phone Number: 01111052808; Email: hoda.zayed@cu.edu.eg

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Suez, Egypt
    • Abdelrahman Taha El-sayed

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Chronic unilateral lumbar painful radiculopathy (duration ranged from 3 to 18 months).
• During the evaluation session, repeated lumbar movements did not improve or worsen lower extremity symptoms.
• Positive straight leg raise (SLR) response. A positive SLR test was defined as the presence of both of these findings: (1) the test reproduced the patient's symptoms and (2) the symptoms decreased with the ankle plantar flexion component of the test.
• Unilateral Pain radiating below the knee, with leg pain equal to or more severe than the accompanying back pain.
• The presence of paresthesia such as pins and needles or numbness in the affected limb, along with neurological deficits-whether motor, sensory, or reflex-that corresponded to the dermatome or myotome of the affected nerve root.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Systemic diseases such as autoimmune and metabolic diseases.
• Previous Lumbar Spine surgery.
• Lumbar spine stenosis.
• Spinal deformity.
• Spinal fracture.
• Bilateral lower extremity symptoms.
• Steroid injection or use of anti-inflammatory medications within two to four weeks prior to study commencement.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Selected conventional physical therapy program group; The participants will receive selected conventional physical therapy program, 3 sessions per week for six weeks.	Other: Selected conventional physical therapy program; The program will include: 1- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) will be applied at Lumbosacral area, with pulse frequency of 100 Hz for 15 minutes. 2) Manual therapy intervention: Myofascial release will be performed on low back muscles and gluteus, piriformis, hamstring, and calf of the affected lower extremity applied for 20 minutes. Following side posture positional distraction, the wedge pillow will be removed and the patient is maintained in the same position. The physical therapist performed passive spinal rotation mobilization. Finally, high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation will be applied from the same position. 3) Core stability exercises: They are consisted of of side plank on knee or ankle on both sides, and clamshell exercise. The clamshell exercise consists of three sets of ten repetitions. Side plank will be performed three times in a static manner for 10-20 seconds or up to patient failure.
Experimental: Sciatic nerve slider mobilization group; The participants will receive sciatic nerve slider mobilization in addition to selected conventional physical therapy program, 3 sessions per week for six weeks.	Other: Selected conventional physical therapy program; The program will include: 1- Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) will be applied at Lumbosacral area, with pulse frequency of 100 Hz for 15 minutes. 2) Manual therapy intervention: Myofascial release will be performed on low back muscles and gluteus, piriformis, hamstring, and calf of the affected lower extremity applied for 20 minutes. Following side posture positional distraction, the wedge pillow will be removed and the patient is maintained in the same position. The physical therapist performed passive spinal rotation mobilization. Finally, high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) manipulation will be applied from the same position. 3) Core stability exercises: They are consisted of of side plank on knee or ankle on both sides, and clamshell exercise. The clamshell exercise consists of three sets of ten repetitions. Side plank will be performed three times in a static manner for 10-20 seconds or up to patient failure.; Other: Sciatic nerve slider mobilization; Mobilization will be applied from supine position, alternating hip flexion with knee extension and dorsiflexion, and knee flexion with plantar flexion, performed three times for 1 minute straight leg raising technique rhythmically

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain pressure threshold	It will be assessed by pressure pain algometer to measure this tenderness to palpation. An electronic digital algometer (Biotronik Care, Mars OneSKU: SF1005, India). Manual palpation with mild pressure will be utilized from supine to the common peroneal nerve, which passes behind the head of the fibula and runs around the neck of the fibula; from prone to the sciatic nerve at the midpoint of a line from the ischial tuberosity to the greater trochanter of the femur; and the tibial nerve, which bisects the popliteal fossa at the midpoint of the popliteal crease. Positive reporting consists of pain or discomfort on the symptomatic side, as well as greater pain or discomfort on the symptomatic side than on the asymptomatic side. Three measurements will be performed at each test site, with a 10-second pause between each. The average of the three measurements will be calculated.	6 weeks
Functional Disability	The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire will be used to assess functional disability. It includes 24 items with face validity to describe patients with low back pain. The Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire has excellent psychometrics, is simple to administer, and has been found to be effective in therapy research studies. Items are scored 0 if left blank or 1 if endorsed, for a total RMQ score ranging from 0 to 24; higher scores represent higher levels of pain-related disability.	6 weeks
Balance Evaluation	It will be assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is an objective measure of static and dynamic balance abilities. The scale consists of 14 functional tasks commonly performed in everyday life. Scoring uses a five-point ordinal scale, with scores ranging from 0 to 4. Maximum score of 56 points is possible. Lower scores indicate poor balance.	6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University
• Investigators: Study Director: Ebtesam Fahmy, Professor, Cairo university; Study Chair: Rasha El-Rewainy, Professor, Cairo university

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): March 10, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 4, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 4, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Radiculopathy
• Other Study ID Numbers: P.T.REC/012/006269

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No