Background: Sciatica characterized by radiating leg pain, is one of the common pain symptoms in the human body, often resulting from lumbar disc herniation, spinal degeneration, nerve root compression, or piriformis dysfunction. Conventional management focuses on symptomatic relief through analgesics, physiotherapy, and surgery in severe cases. Chakrasiddh Spine Expert Therapy (CSET), a Siddha-based integrative therapeutic approach, offers a non-invasive alternative aimed at addressing biomechanical, neuromuscular, and functional impairments associated with sciatica.
Methods: A randomized controlled study was conducted among 60 patients with clinically diagnosed sciatica. Participants were allocated into two groups: CSET intervention group (n=30) and conventional physiotherapy group (n=30). Outcomes were assessed using Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Straight Leg Raise (SLR) test, and lumbar range of motion before and after four weeks of treatment. CSET was administered four days a week; each session lasted 45 min for four weeks and consisted of a structured protocol directed mainly toward muscles of the lumbar spine, pelvis, thigh, and leg regions. The conventional physiotherapy group was given exercise therapy for three days in a week for 40 minutes for four weeks.
Results: The CSET group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in pain, disability, and functional mobility than the control group. VAS scores decreased from 8.1 ± 1.0 to 2.3 ± 1.2, ODI scores improved from 58.2 ± 8.5 to 18.6 ± 6.4, and SLR increased from 43° ± 11° to 80° ± 9°. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant Group and Time interaction effects for all primary outcomes (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: CSET demonstrated significant benefits in reducing pain, improving mobility, and enhancing functional capacity among patients with sciatica, supporting its role as a complementary non-invasive therapeutic option.
Sciatica; CSET; Manual Pressure Point Therapy; Lumbar Disc Disease; Pain Management