Effects of continuous and intermittent lumbosacral corset use on pain, sleep and comfort after lumbar disc herniation surgery: A randomized controlled study

Evidence regarding the effects of continuous versus intermittent use of a lumbosacral (LS) corset on pain, sleep, and comfort in patients undergoing lumbar disc surgery remains limited. This study aimed to determine the impact of continuous and intermittent LS corset use on these parameters in patients who underwent lumbar disc surgery. Ethical approval was obtained from the Hasan Kalyoncu University Ethics Committee (Approval No: 2024-14). The research was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery of Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University Hospital between September 25, 2024, and April 1, 2025. A total of 102 patients were randomly assigned to either the continuous (n=51) or intermittent (n=51) LS corset use groups. Data were collected using the Descriptive Information Form, Perianesthesia Comfort Scale, and Richards-Campbell Sleep Scale before surgery (T0), one day after (T1), and two days after (T2) surgery. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 22.0, with a significance level set at p<0.05. There were no significant differences between groups in terms of age, gender, body mass index, education, or marital status (p>0.05). According to the Perianesthesia Comfort Scale, no significant differences were found between the groups at T0, T1, and T2 (p>0.05). Sleep perception scores were similar at T0 (p=0.838), but significantly higher in the intermittent-use group at T1 and T2 (p=0.001). Pain scores were also similar at T0 (p=0.487), but significantly lower in the continuous-use group at T1 and T2 (p=0.001). The study concluded that continuous use of the LS corset did not affect comfort but was effective in reducing pain, while intermittent use had a more positive impact on sleep quality. Keywords: Lumbar Disc Herniation; Surgical Pain Management; Postoperative Care; Sleep; Lumbosacral Corset