Structural Neck Posture Leads to Lasting Benefits in Disc-Related Leg Pain

Purpose

The study tested whether correcting an abnormal neck curvature (hypolordosis) improves outcomes for patients with chronic discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy (CDLR).

What Is Discogenic Lumbosacral Radiculopathy?

• Discogenic means the condition comes from a spinal disc.

• Lumbosacral refers to the lower back region, especially where the lumbar spine meets the sacrum.

• Radiculopathy means a nerve is irritated or compressed, causing symptoms down the path of that nerve.

In simple terms, discogenic lumbosacral radiculopathy happens when a damaged or herniated disc in the lower back presses on a nerve root. This often causes:

• Back pain in the lower spine

• Leg pain (commonly called sciatica)

• Numbness or tingling in the legs or feet

• Weakness in certain muscles supplied by the irritated nerve

Think of the disc as a cushion between the bones of your spine. If it bulges or breaks down, it can squeeze the nearby nerve root, sending pain signals into the leg.

Participants & Design

• 80 patients (aged 40–55), all with chronic leg pain due to L5–S1 disc herniation and abnormal neck posture (forward head posture, reduced cervical lordosis).

• Randomized controlled trial:
  

• Study group: Received standard care (TENS, hot packs) plus cervical posture correction using the Denneroll traction orthotic.

• Control group: Received only the standard care.

• Treatment: 3 sessions per week for 10 weeks, with outcomes assessed again at 6-month follow-up.

What Was Measured

• Radiographic/postural parameters: Cervical lordosis (C2–C7), anterior head translation (AHT), plus 3D spinal metrics (lumbar and thoracic posture, trunk balance, pelvic inclination)

• Symptom measures: Back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for disability

• Neurophysiological measures: H-reflex amplitude & latency (for S1 nerve root function)

Results

• At 10 weeks:
  

• Study group had significant improvements over control in cervical lordosis, AHT, H-reflex amplitude (p = 0.007), and latency (p = 0.001).

• Postural alignment metrics improved across the spine.

• No statistically significant difference yet in back pain (p = 0.2), leg pain (p = 0.1), or ODI (p = 0.6).

• At 6-month follow-up:
  

• Control group largely regressed toward baseline.

• Study group maintained improvements in posture, neurophysiology, and also showed significant reductions in back and leg pain, and ODI.

Conclusions

Correcting cervical lordosis and forward head posture helped improve nerve function and full-spine posture. Over time, it also reduced pain and disability in people with lumbosacral radiculopathy. Results were maintained long-term, suggesting structural correction offers durable benefits beyond standard therapy.

Key Takeaway

1. A randomized trial shows correcting neck posture improves spinal nerve function and reduces leg/back pain in chronic lumbosacral radiculopathy.

2. Learn how restoring cervical curve with Denneroll traction leads to sustained pain relief and better posture in disc-related leg pain patients.

3. Patients with lumbosacral nerve pain kept improvements in posture, nerve health, and pain when cervical alignment was corrected.

References:

Moustafa IM, Diab AAM, Harrison DE. Does improvement towards a normal cervical sagittal configuration aid in the management of lumbosacral radiculopathy: a randomized controlled trial. J Clin Med. 2022;11(19):5768. doi:10.3390/jcm11195768