Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study participants

Mean age (years ± SD)

45.25 ± 11.08

51.38 ± 11.21

50.50 ± 11.86

48.85 ± 11.54

0.085^*

Sex (M/F)

10/21

8/23

8/12

26/56

0.566^**

BMI (mean ± SD)

28.16 ± 4.81

28.49 ± 4.09

28.41 ± 5.25

28.34 ± 4.62

0.961^*

Symptom duration (months)

Median (min–max)

12 (3–360)

12 (3–300)

36 (3–120)

12 (3–360)

0.204^***

Anatomical location of disc herniation (n)

 L1-2 (n,%)

2 (6.5)

4 (12.9)

3 (15)

9 (11)

0.541^**

 L2-3 (n,%)

5 (16.1)

4 (12.9)

0 (0)

9 (11)

0.180^**

 L3-4 (n,%)

7 (22.6)

6 (19.4)

2 (10)

15 (18.3)

0.578^**

 L4-5 (n,%)

14 (45.2)

18 (58.1)

7 (35)

39 (47.6)

0.403^**

 L5-S1 (n,%)

11 (35.5)

13 (41.9)

10 (50)

34 (41.5)

0.435^**

Stage of disc herniation (n,%)

 Protrusion

27 (90)

28 (90.3)

20 (100.0)

75 (91.4)

0.482^**

 Ekstrusion

4 (12.9)

2 (6.5)

0

6 (7.3)

 Sequestration

0

1 (3.2)

0

1 (1.3)

Pre treatment VAS score ± SD

7.19 ± 1.60

6.51 ± 1.72

6.70 ± 1.49

6.81 ± 1.63

0.249^*

Pre treatment Modifiye Oswestry score ± SD

48.48 ± 18.20

50.19 ± 13.35

40.90 ± 17.16

47.28 ± 16.48

0.127^*

 Pre treatment SF 36

 Physical functioning

45.74 ± 21.26

47.09 ± 20.72

59.00 ± 27.65

49.48 ± 23.14

0.104^*

 Role -physical

0 (0–100)^a

0 (0–100)^a

87.5 (0–100)^a

10 (0–100)

0.002^***

 Role -emotional

33 (0–100)^a

33 (0–100^)a

100 (0–100)^a

33 (0–100)

0.026^***

 Vitality

45.48 ± 14.16

48.38 ± 18.63

49.50 ± 17.31

47.56 ± 16.61

0.665^*

 Emotional well-being

56.25 ± 15.69

58.70 ± 16.21

61.10 ± 12.40

58.36 ± 15.10

0.534^*

 Social functioning

50 (25–88)

50 (25–100)

63 (10–100)

50 (10–100)

0.272^***

 Pain

38 (0–68)^a

45 (0–80)

45 (23–70)^a

45 (0–80)

0.007^***

 General health

50 (25–80)

60 (20–85)

57.5 (25–100)

55 (20–100)

0.132^***

 Health change

50 (0–100)

25 (0–75)

50 (20–75)

25 (0–100)

0.352^***