An interventional study of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy and Therapeutic Ultrasound in Sciatica, Chronic Sciatica and Lumbar Radiculopathy, sponsored by University of Lahore. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 45 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-07-17.
Sponsored by University of Lahore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment
Sciatica is characterized by radiating pain, functional limitations, reduced flexibility, disturbed sleep, and impaired quality of life. Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (ESWT) and Therapeutic Ultrasound are commonly used physiotherapy modalities for pain relief and tissue healing; however, evidence directly comparing their effectiveness remains limited. This randomized controlled trial compares the effects of Shockwave Therapy and Ultrasound Therapy, each combined with conventional physiotherapy, on pain intensity, hamstring range of motion, sleep quality, and quality of life in patients with chronic sciatica.
This randomized controlled trial compares two physiotherapy interventions for chronic sciatica. Sixty-six participants will be randomly allocated to either Shockwave Therapy plus Conventional Physiotherapy or Ultrasound Therapy plus Conventional Physiotherapy. Both groups will receive identical conventional physiotherapy consisting of heat therapy, myofascial release, stretching, and strengthening exercises. Treatment will be administered four sessions per week for eight weeks. Outcomes including pain intensity, hamstring range of motion, sleep quality, and quality of life will be measured at baseline, Week 4, and Week 8 by a blinded outcome assessor.
149 studies on the registry are indexed under Sciatica; 31 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 66 is close to the median of 68 across 122 interventional studies indexed under Sciatica.
Browse Sciatica studies →University of Lahore is the lead sponsor of 232 studies on the registry; 41 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Cancer (malignancy)
Malignancy means cancer. Criteria about another or earlier malignancy ask whether you have had a different cancer, usually within a set number of years.
Some are commonly allowed, such as treated skin cancers other than melanoma and early cancers removed completely — check the exceptions this study lists.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants will receive radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy in addition to standardized conventional physiotherapy four times per week for eight weeks.
Device: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy · Other: Conventional Physiotherapy
Participants will receive therapeutic ultrasound in addition to standardized conventional physiotherapy four times per week for eight weeks.
Device: Therapeutic Ultrasound · Other: Conventional Physiotherapy
Radial extracorporeal shockwave therapy will be applied to the sciatic nerve origin and piriformis region using standardized treatment parameters for approximately 10 minutes during each treatment session.
Also known as: ESWT, Radial Shockwave Therapy
Therapeutic ultrasound will be applied to the gluteal and lumbar regions using standardized frequency and intensity parameters for approximately 10 minutes during each treatment session.
Also known as: Ultrasound Therapy, Ultrasound
Conventional physiotherapy will include moist heat therapy, myofascial release, stretching exercises, and strengthening exercises administered during every treatment session.
Pain Intensity
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (0-10). Higher scores indicate greater pain.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Hamstring Range of Motion
Hip flexion measured with a universal goniometer during the Straight Leg Raise test.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Sleep Quality
Sleep Quality Scale. Higher scores indicate poorer sleep quality.
Time frame: Baseline, Week 4, Week 8
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared because this study was conducted as an academic research project. The informed consent obtained from participants did not include provisions for public data sharing, and the dataset contains sensitive personal health information. Data will be stored securely and used only for academic and research purposes in accordance with institutional ethics approval.
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
Ran from Jun 2025 to primary completion in Mar 2026, 8 months.
Of 44 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Sciatica, half reached primary completion within 11 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 30. This study's 8 months is below that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 44 studies reached it within 11 months; a quarter within 6 and three quarters within 30.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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