PITTSBURGH SLEEP QUALITY INDEX OUTCOMES AFTER CONVENTIONAL PHYSIOTHERAPY, TELE-REHABILITATION, AND VIRTUAL REALITY THERAPY FOR CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
Bharat Bhushan1, Tabish Fahim2*, Shashikant Gupta3, Monika Chawla4
1,2Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medical and Allied Sciences, GD Goenka University, Gurugram, Haryana-122103, India
3Department Of Basic Sciences, School of Engineering, GD Goenka University, Gurugram India-122103, Haryana,
4Department of Computer Science & Engineering, Banarasidas Chandiwala Institute of Information Technology, Kalkaji, Delhi-110019, India
Abstract:
Background: Chronic low back pain is a leading cause of disability, affecting 619 million people in 2020 (1). Most patients report poor sleep, with over half reporting clinical insomnia (2), yet evidence on whether delivery mode affects PSQI-measured sleep remains limited. Objective: To compare PSQI outcomes after conventional physiotherapy, tele-rehabilitation and virtual reality therapy for chronic low back pain. Methods: In this three-arm randomised trial, 78 adults with chronic low back pain were allocated (26 per group) to six weeks of CPT, TRT or VRT; the primary outcome was the PSQI Global Score. Results: Sixty-six participants completed; PSQI Global Scores fell by 3.91, 3.73 and 4.55 points with CPT, TRT and VRT (all p < 0.001), exceeding the 3-point MCID, but the between-group difference was not significant (p = 0.184). Conclusion: All three delivery modes improved sleep, pain and disability; VRT showed the most favourable sleep outcomes, though between-mode differences were small and non-significant.
Keywords: Chronic low back pain (CLBP); sleep quality; Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); tele-rehabilitation therapy (TRT); virtual reality therapy (VRT); conventional physiotherapy (CPT); physiotherapy.
VOLUME 10 ISSUE 10 2026: 1 – 25