Tecar Therapy in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy

Efficacy of Tecar Therapy Versus Conventional Physical Therapy and Sham Treatment in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Lumbar radiculopathy is a common cause of low back and leg pain, most frequently resulting from lumbar disc herniation and nerve root irritation. Conservative management, including physical therapy modalities and exercise therapy, is generally recommended as first-line treatment for patients without progressive neurological deficits. Tecar therapy (Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive) is a non-invasive electrotherapeutic modality that delivers high-frequency electromagnetic energy to deep tissues and has been proposed to reduce pain, enhance microcirculation, and promote tissue recovery. However, evidence regarding its effectiveness in lumbar radiculopathy remains limited.

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of Tecar therapy in patients with lumbar radiculopathy and to compare its clinical effects with conventional physical therapy and sham Tecar treatment.

A total of 90 participants with unilateral L5 and/or S1 radiculopathy will be randomized into three groups: (1) conventional physical therapy, (2) Tecar therapy combined with standard physical therapy, and (3) sham Tecar therapy combined with standard physical therapy. All participants will receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.

The primary outcome will be pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes will include functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index), neuropathic pain characteristics (PainDETECT questionnaire), lumbar mobility (Modified-Modified Schober Test), nerve root irritability (Straight Leg Raise test), rescue analgesic consumption, and exercise adherence. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, post-treatment (week 2), and follow-up visits at weeks 6 and 12.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Lumbar Radiculopathy
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: Conventional Physical Therapy; Device: Tecar Therapy; Device: Sham Tecar Therapy

Detailed Description

This assessor-blinded, randomized controlled trial will be conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at İzmir City Hospital, a tertiary-level outpatient center. The study will be designed and reported according to CONSORT recommendations.

Participants aged 18-65 years with clinically diagnosed unilateral L5 and/or S1 radiculopathy and symptom duration between 6 weeks and 6 months will be eligible. Diagnosis will primarily be based on clinical findings consistent with radiculopathy, including dermatomal leg pain and supportive neurological examination findings, while lumbar MRI and/or EMG will be used as confirmatory evidence. After written informed consent is obtained, eligible participants will be randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of three groups using computer-generated randomization with concealed allocation.

Group 1 will receive conventional physical therapy consisting of hot pack, continuous ultrasound therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). Group 2 will receive Tecar therapy in addition to standardized base therapy. Tecar treatment will include capacitive and resistive energy transfer applied to the lumbar paraspinal region and gluteal muscles. Group 3 will receive sham Tecar therapy using the same procedure as the active Tecar protocol but with zero energy output. All groups will additionally receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.

Outcome assessments will be performed by an independent physiatrist blinded to group allocation at four time points: baseline, post-treatment (week 2), and follow-up visits at weeks 6 and 12. The primary outcome will be change in pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes will include functional disability (Oswestry Disability Index), neuropathic pain features (PainDETECT questionnaire), lumbar mobility (Modified-Modified Schober Test), nerve root irritability assessed with the Straight Leg Raise test, rescue analgesic consumption, and exercise adherence.

The study aims to determine whether Tecar therapy provides additional clinical benefit over conventional physical therapy and to evaluate the effectiveness of Tecar therapy beyond placebo effects using a sham-controlled design.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 90
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Ertan Yilmaz, Medical Doctor, Specialist; Phone Number: +905318431901; Email: ertnyilmzz@gmail.com
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Ertam Yilmaz, Medical Doctor, Specialist; Email: ertnyilmzz@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • İzmir
    • Çiğli, İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye), 35000
      • İzmir City Hospital
      • Contact: Ertan Yilmaz, Medical Doctor, Specialist; Phone Number: +905318431901; Email: ertnyilmzz@gmail.com

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adults aged 18-65 years
• Clinical diagnosis of unilateral L5 and/or S1 lumbar radiculopathy
• Symptom duration between 6 weeks and 6 months
• Average radicular pain intensity ≥3 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) during the previous month
• Availability of lumbar MRI and/or EMG performed within the previous 6 months
• Willingness to participate and ability to provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Bilateral lumbar radiculopathy
• Lumbar spinal canal stenosis confirmed by imaging or suspected clinically (e.g., neurogenic claudication)
• Lower limb muscle strength <4/5 according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) scale
• Use of analgesic medications other than paracetamol during the study period
• Physical therapy treatment for low back or radicular pain within the past 3 months
• Contraindications to physical therapy modalities or Tecar therapy
• Previous lumbar spine surgery or interventional spinal procedures within the last 6 months
• Pregnancy, malignancy, or systemic neurological or rheumatologic disease
• Advanced spinal or lower extremity deformities (e.g., scoliosis >20°, grade 3-4 spondylolisthesis, vertebral fracture, advanced coxarthrosis)
• Inability to complete the intervention protocol or follow-up assessments

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Conventional Physical Therapy; Participants in this group will receive conventional physical therapy consisting of hot pack, continuous ultrasound therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied to the lumbar region. Treatments will be administered five times per week for two weeks (10 sessions). Participants will also receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.	Procedure: Conventional Physical Therapy; Conventional physical therapy will include a combination of hot pack, continuous ultrasound therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) applied to the lumbar region. Treatment sessions will be conducted five times per week for two weeks. Participants will also receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.
Experimental: Tecar Therapy; Participants in this group will receive Tecar therapy in addition to standardized base physical therapy consisting of hot pack and TENS. Tecar therapy will be applied to the lumbar paraspinal region and gluteal muscles using capacitive and resistive modes with adjustable energy output. Sessions will be performed three times per week for two weeks. Participants will also receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.	Device: Tecar Therapy; Tecar therapy (Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive) will be applied using capacitive and resistive modes to the lumbar paraspinal region and gluteal muscles. Energy output will be adjusted to approximately 50-70% of the device capacity to achieve a comfortably warm sensation. Each session will last approximately 25 minutes and will be performed three times per week for two weeks. All applications will be delivered using a hypothermic electrode head.
Sham Comparator: Arm Title; Participants in this group will receive sham Tecar therapy in addition to standardized base physical therapy consisting of hot pack and TENS. The sham procedure will follow the same protocol as the active Tecar therapy, including identical electrode contact and treatment duration, but the device will be set to zero energy output, preventing any thermal or electrical effect. Participants will also receive standardized postural education and a home exercise program.	Device: Sham Tecar Therapy; Sham Tecar therapy will be delivered using the same device, electrode head, treatment duration, and therapist contact as the active Tecar therapy protocol. However, the device will be set to zero intensity output, preventing the delivery of electromagnetic energy or heat. This procedure is designed to mimic the active intervention while providing no therapeutic effect.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pain Intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS)	Pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 represents "no pain" and 10 represents "worst imaginable pain." Participants will rate their average lumbar and radicular pain intensity during the previous 7 days.	Baseline, Week 2 (post-treatment), Week 6, and Week 12

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Neuropathic Pain Characteristics (PainDETECT Questionnaire)	Neuropathic pain features will be assessed using the PainDETECT Questionnaire, a validated self-report instrument ranging from -1 to 38 points. Higher scores indicate a greater likelihood of neuropathic pain components.	Baseline, Week 2, Week 6, and Week 12
Lumbar Mobility (Modified-Modified Schober Test)	Lumbar spine mobility will be assessed using the Modified-Modified Schober Test. The distance between two skin marks placed over the lumbar spine will be measured during maximal forward flexion.	Baseline, Week 2, Week 6, and Week 12
Nerve Root Irritability (Straight Leg Raise Test)	The Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test will be used to assess nerve root irritability. The angle at which radicular pain is reproduced during passive leg elevation will be measured using a goniometer.	Baseline, Week 2, Week 6, and Week 12

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Izmir City Hospital
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Ertan Yilmaz, Medical Doctor, Specialist, İzmir City Hospital

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Barassi G, Mariani C, Supplizi M, Prosperi L, Di Simone E, Marinucci C, Pellegrino R, Guglielmi V, Younes A, Di Iorio A. Capacitive and Resistive Electric Transfer Therapy: A Comparison of Operating Methods in Non-specific Chronic Low Back Pain. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2022;1375:39-46. doi: 10.1007/5584_2021_692.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 15, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): April 15, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 15, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 14, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): March 18, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 16, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 13, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: lumbar radiculopathy; Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Radiculopathy
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2024-KAEK-23

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 institutional data protection policies and privacy regulations. Only aggregated data will be reported in scientific publications.

Drug and device information, study documents

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