Effect of Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive on Chronic Discogenic Sciatica

NCT07841405 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: P.T.REC/012/006312
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 34
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the effect of Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) 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

Conditions

Lumbar Radiculopathy

Keywords

TECAR therapy; sciatica

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Pain intensity

  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

  from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

• functional disability

  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

  from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

• Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex)

  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 shorter latencies indicate less damage

  from enrollment to the end of treatment at 4 weeks

Study Arms (2)

Study (TECAR) Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Device: Transfer of Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) therapy; Other: conventional physical therapy program

Control (Conventional treatment) Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: conventional physical therapy program

Interventions

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.

Also known as: TECAR Device (INDIBA® 448 kHz)

Study (TECAR) Group

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.

Control (Conventional treatment) Group; Study (TECAR) Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 35 Years - 50 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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

You may not qualify if:

• 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)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Cairo University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Faculty of Physical Therapy Cairo University

Giza, Egypt

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Radiculopathy; Sciatica

Interventions

Therapeutics

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Central Study Contacts

OMAR ABDELAZIZ MOSTAFA, bachelor

CONTACT

+201063019924; omarabdelaziz708@gmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: physical therapist at Kasr Al Ainy hospitals

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 20, 2026
• First Posted: September 25, 2026
• Study Start: September 21, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 21, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): January 21, 2027
• Last Updated: September 28, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Locations

EG (1)