Physiotherapy management strategies for chronic pain control in patients with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and low back pain: a review of the literature

Abstract

Physiotherapy is a widely used form of treatment of low back pain (LBP) and is important in nonsurgical/surgical management of patients with lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV). This review presents physiotherapeutic management in LSTV patients with LBP. A search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Medline, and Google Scholar between November 20 and December 31, 2023. The mean age of patients was 39 years. The patients had an average of 13 sessions, and the average duration of physiotherapy was 3 weeks (frequency of 1–5 sessions/week). The physiotherapy methods used were: manual therapy, mobility training, motor control training, myofascial approach and hot packs, and electrotherapy. Outcome measures were pain scales, range of motion testing, improvement in sleep, return to work, physical activity, or muscle thickness. The reviewed papers described pain reduction, though pain recurrence occurred with varying frequency (1–3 months after therapy). Physiotherapy for LSTV patients should be a first-line treatment, but requires an individualized approach.