Aerobic Versus Core‑Stabilization Training After Caudal Epidural Steroid Injection for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Single Blind Parallel Group Randomized Controlled Trial.
Serpil Arslan, Ceyhun Türkmen, Kenan Şimşek et al.
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In 30 seconds
This three-arm, parallel-group randomized controlled trial compared physiotherapy alone with physiotherapy plus supervised aerobic or core-stabilization exercise after caudal epidural steroid injection in 35 individuals with lumbar disc herniation and radicular pain. Over the 6-week exercise program and 12-week follow-up, both exercise groups had significantly greater improvement in pain and secondary outcomes than the control group at 6 weeks (P <0.05). Core stabilization produced faster pain reduction by week 6 than aerobic exercise; by week 12, the two exercise approaches had comparable outcomes, both remaining superior to control.
Key findings
- At 6 weeks, both exercise groups improved pain and secondary outcomes more than physiotherapy alone (P <0.05).
- Core stabilization produced faster pain reduction by week 6 than aerobic exercise.
- At 12 weeks, aerobic and stabilization outcomes were comparable, and both remained superior to control.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that adding structured exercise after caudal epidural steroid injection may improve pain and function beyond physiotherapy alone in people with lumbar disc herniation and radicular pain. The earlier pain reduction with stabilization may inform discussion of exercise options, while similar outcomes by 12 weeks indicate that the observed advantage was not sustained between the two exercise approaches.
What to keep in mind
The trial included 35 individuals and followed outcomes for 12 weeks, limiting the scale and duration of evidence.