Efficacy of a Short-Term Low-Calorie Diet in Overweight and Obese Patients with Chronic Sciatica: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Chronic sciatica is a common condition. According to Traditional Persian Medicine and recent
studies, calorie reduction is thought to be helpful for this condition. The purpose of this work is to evaluate a
short-term low-calorie diet (LCD) for ameliorating chronic sciatica in the context of pain relief and reduced
disability for patients.
Design: In this randomized controlled trial, 96 candidates for the nonsurgical treatment of chronic sciatica
were randomly assigned to two groups to receive a 1-month LCD (intervention) or ordinary diet (control), both
AU4c in combination with NSAIDs. Afterward, patients were visited at baseline and on days 15, 30, and 60 after
treatment. Pain and disability were evaluated using the short-form McGill pain questionnaire (SFMPQ) and the
Roland-Morris disability questionnaire (RMDQ), respectively.
Results: Both mean RMDQ scores and SFMPQ scores decreased significantly in the LCD group compared to
the control group. SFMPQ descriptor scale scores at baseline and on days 15, 30, and 60 in the LCD group were
7.71 – 1.69, 6.63 – 1.61, 5.54 – 1.87, and 4.96 – 2.02, respectively, and in the control group were 6.63 – 1.44,
6.69 – 1.32, 6.64 – 1.98, and 6.62 – 2.53, respectively ( p = 0.001). RMDQ scores at baseline and on days 15, 30,
and 60 in LCD group were 11.17 – 3.90, 8.60 – 1.97, 7.50 – 2.71, and 6.77 – 3.06, respectively, and in the
control group, 10.00 – 2.20, 9.98 – 2.29, 9.94 – 2.94, and 9.85 – 3.32, respectively ( p < 0.001).
Conclusion: A short-term (1-month) LCD is effective in decreasing pain and disability in candidates for
nonsurgical treatment of chronic sciatica.