This study aims to evaluate the effects of incorporating virtual reality (VR) therapy into routine physical therapy (RPT) on balance, pain, kinesiophobia, quality of life, and depression in individuals diagnosed with lumbar disc herniation (LDH).
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of adding virtual reality (VR) therapy to routine physical therapy (RPT) on balance, pain, kinesiophobia, quality of life, and depression in individuals with lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A total of 93 patients diagnosed with LDH will be randomly assigned into two groups: an intervention group (n=47) and a control group (n=46). Both groups will undergo a conventional physical therapy program consisting of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), vacuum interference, heat application, and ultrasound therapy. In addition to the conventional program, the intervention group will receive VR-based therapy. Participants will be assessed at baseline and at the end of the intervention period using the following outcome measures: balance assessed by the Nintendo Balance Board-based Balance System; activities of daily living assessed by the Oswestry Disability Index; back pain intensity assessed by the Visual Analog Scale; kinesiophobia assessed by the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale; quality of life assessed by the Short Form-36 questionnaire; and depression assessed by the Beck Depression Inventory.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
93
TENS, superficial and deep heat therapy, and interferential current + strengthening, stretching, and postural correction exercises Three times per week for six weeks, each session lasting 40 minutes,
The Virtual Reality (VR) group : conventional treatment in combination with a VR application (Balance System Assessment System and Active Video Games), (consisting of six different games at three difficulty levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced). Each game lasted for 2 minutes and was repeated twice. Over six weeks, both groups completed a total of 18 sessions (3 sessions per week)
Üsküdar Üniversitesi
Umraniye, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye)
Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
The ODI is a 10-item questionnaire developed to assess functional impairment in individuals with back pain. It evaluates changes in self-care, lifting, walking, sitting, standing, sleeping, social life, travel, and pain. Each item is scored from 0 to 5, with the total score ranging from 0 to 50. The total score is then multiplied by 2 and expressed as a percentage, with higher scores indicating greater disability
Time frame: 8 weeks
SF-36 Quality of Life Scale
The SF-36 assesses quality of life across eight domains: physical functioning, bodily pain, general health perception, vitality, mental health, social functioning, and physical and emotional roles. Its validity and reliability in Turkey were established by Pınar et al.
Time frame: 8 weeks
Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TSK)
The TSK is a 17-item self-report questionnaire using a 4-point Likert scale to assess fear of movement and/or reinjury. Total scores are calculated by reverse-scoring items 4, 8, 12, and 16, with possible scores ranging from 17 to 68. Scores of 37 or higher indicate a high level of kinesiophobia
Time frame: 8 weeks
Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item self-report Likert-type scale used to determine the frequency of depressive symptoms. Items are scored from 0 to 3, and the scale's validity and reliability in Turkey were established by Ulusoy et al.
Time frame: 8 weeks
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