Radicular low back pain: Evaluation of conservative multimodal treatment

Objective: In this summary, the preliminary results of studies evaluating medical therapy of radicular low back pain are reported. Methods: In two prospective cohorts (183 patients) the conservative multimodal inpatient treatment was examined, using the newly developed "Radicular Low Back Pain Score" for the standardized measurement of the radiculopathy. In another sample of 116 patients the preceeding outpatient treatment was documented. Results: A significant short-term improvement with regard to the pain intensity and the radiculopathy was observed after approximately two weeks of therapy. The preceeding outpatient treatment did not comply with recent guidelines. Moreover, it did not influence the outcome of the multimodal inpatient therapy. Conclusions: The "Radicular Low Back Pain Score" seems to be a suitable instrument for measuring therapy effectiveness. Multimodal medical treatment is an important treatment approach for sciatica, especially after failed outpatient therapy.