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Tecar Therapy in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy

Sponsor: Izmir City Hospital • ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT07480252

Registry updated: 2026-10-14

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Description

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.

Interventions

Tecar Therapy (Device)
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 Tecar Therapy (Device)
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.
Conventional Physical Therapy (Procedure)
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.

Eligibility criteria

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

Conditions

Lumbar Radiculopathy

Locations

İzmir City Hospital — Izmir, İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye)
İzmir Cİty Hospital — Izmir, İzmir, Turkey (Türkiye)

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Official Source

Data sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

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