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NCT Number: NCT07841405

Effect of TECAR on Chronic Discogenic Sciatica

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of TECAR therapy on pain, functional disability and electrophysiological parameters in adults with chronic discogenic sciatica . The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Is there significant effect of TECAR therapy on pain, functional disability and Electrophysiological parameters (H-reflex latency and amplitude) ? Researchers will compare effect of adding TECAR therapy to conventional physical therapy program (TENS, hot pack, stretching exercises and core stability exercises) Vs conventional physical therapy program alone to see if there is a beneficial effect of adding TECAR therapy to physical therapy program Participants in study group will receive TECAR therapy in addition to conventional PT program while participants in control group will receive conventional PT program

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Key information

Conditions

Lumbar Radiculopathy Mononeuropathies Nervous System Diseases Neuralgia Neurologic Manifestations Neuromuscular Diseases Pain Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Peripheral Nervous System Diseases Radiculopathy Sciatic Neuropathy Sciatica Signs and Symptoms

Age range

35 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

Male

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Faculty of Physical Therapy Cairo University

Giza, Egypt

Location status: Recruiting

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age between 30-50 years
  • Unilateral chronic discogenic sciatica at L5-S1, MRI confirmed
  • Symptom duration more than 3 months
  • Pain score ≥ 4 on the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
  • Ability to participate in outpatient physiotherapy

Exclusion criteria

  • Previous lumbar spine surgery
  • Pacemaker or metallic implants
  • Peripheral neuropathy or systemic neurological disorders
  • Severe sensory loss
  • Skin lesions at the treatment site
  • Recent corticosteroid injection (< 3 weeks)

Treatment and study plan

Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) Therapy

Device
  • The participant lies prone or side-lying depending on comfort.
  • Conductive cream is applied to the lumbar region (L4-S1) and gluteal area.
  • Capacitive mode (CET) will be applied first to target superficial soft tissues.
  • Resistive mode (RET) will follow to target deeper structures including paraspinal muscles, facet joints, and nerve root pathway.
  • Each mode will be applied for a predetermined duration (e.g., 10 minutes CET + 10 minutes RET).
  • Intensity adjusted to produce a deep warm sensation without discomfort.
  • Total session duration: ~20 minutes treatment program will be delivered in manner of 3 sessions per week for four weeks.

Other names: TECAR Device (INDIBA® 448 kHz)

Conventional physical therapy program

Other

conventional physical therapy program will include TENS, hot pack, stretching exercises and core stabilization exercises for 3 sessions per week for four weeks.

Primary outcomes

  1. Pain intensity

    Time frame: from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

    lower back pain will be assessed though Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) which is used to measure the severity of pain. It is a straight line with one end representing no pain and the other end representing the worst imaginable pain. The subject will mark a point on the line that corresponds to the current level of pain he or she experiences. Higher values indicate higher levels of pain while lower values indicate lower levels of pain

  2. functional disability

    Time frame: from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

    Functional disability will be evaluated using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which is considered the gold standard for assessing disability in low back pain and radiculopathy. The ODI consists of 10 sections evaluating daily activities such as lifting, walking, sitting, and personal care. It is scored from 0% to 100%, where higher percentages represent more severe functional impairment

  3. Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex)

    Time frame: from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

    H-reflex has been measured in the soleus muscle by stimulating the tibial nerve with a one-millisecond pulse at 0.2pps of H-max. The peak-to-peak amplitude of the highest recorded H-reflex and the latencies of four spaced traces for both lower extremities will be averaged for each participant.

    lower amplitudes and delayed latencies indicate more damage to nerve root, while higher amplitudes and short latency indicates less damage

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Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Cairo University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer on Pain, Functional Outcome and Electrophysiological Parameters in Patients With Chronic Discogenic Sciatica

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Sep 25, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 25, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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