Tecar Therapy in Patients With Lumbar Radiculopathy

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.