Low back pain is a common musculoskeletal disorder associated with substantial disability and reduced quality of life. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is frequently used to identify structural spinal abnormalities, the relationship between MRI findings and treatment outcomes remains unclear. This retrospective study aims to evaluate whether the effectiveness of a standardized physical therapy program differs according to baseline lumbar MRI findings. Medical records of 120 patients with low back pain who underwent lumbar MRI and completed 15 sessions of physical therapy between January 2022 and February 2026 will be reviewed. Patients will be classified into three MRI-based groups: disc herniation, disc degeneration, and non-specific MRI findings. Treatment outcomes will be assessed using changes in Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores before and after treatment. The findings may contribute to identifying patient subgroups that respond differently to conservative treatment and support more individualized rehabilitation strategies.
Age between 18 and 65 years.
Completion of 15 sessions of physical therapy.
Availability of accessible MRI images in the medical records.
No history of lumbar spine surgery.
Presence of comorbid conditions that may cause low back pain (fibromyalgia, rheumatologic diseases, scoliosis, herpes zoster, polyneuropathy, central pain syndromes).
Presence of systemic neuromuscular disorders.
Acute disc herniation or vertebral fracture.
Receipt of fewer or more than 15 sessions of physical therapy.
Single group
Standard Physical Therapy Program
Procedure/SurgeryParticipants received a standardized physical therapy program consisting of 15 treatment sessions. The treatment protocol included hot pack application, therapeutic ultrasound, interferential current therapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). All interventions were administered as part of routine clinical care for low back pain.
Change in disability measured by the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
Functional disability will be assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), which ranges from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater disability and worse functional status. A reduction in score indicates improvement. The outcome measure will be the change in ODI score from baseline to completion of the 15-session physical therapy program.
Change in pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), a 10-centimeter scale ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst imaginable pain. A reduction in score indicates improvement. The outcome measure will be the change in VAS score from baseline to completion of the 15-session physical therapy program.
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