How common a directional preference is in people with lumbar spinal stenosis
Official title: A Single-center Observational Study Looking at the Prevalence of Directional Preference in the Lumbar Stenosis Population for Low Back Pain Patients
Run by NYU Langone Health · NCT07007663 · Data updated 2026-11-12
We will see if people over 48 with MRI- or CT-confirmed lumbar spinal stenosis and ongoing leg pain show a movement or position that consistently reduces their symptoms during outpatient physical therapy.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 48 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 67 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | NYU Langone Health Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Lake Success, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | June 9, 2025 |
| Main results expected | June 9, 2027 |
| Study ends | June 9, 2027 |
| Registry record updated | May 4, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07007663 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults over 48 with MRI/CT-confirmed lumbar stenosis and at least 12 weeks of radicular leg symptoms who are scheduled for outpatient physical therapy and can give informed consent.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with radiographic instability, significant spondylolisthesis, prior lumbar surgery, progressive neurological deficit, inflammatory arthritis, or medical comorbidities that preclude surgical management are excluded and are unlikely to benefit from the study’s findings.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a prospective observational cohort of patients with low back and radicular leg pain who present for outpatient physical therapy at Rusk Rehabilitation at NYU Langone Ambulatory Care Lake Success. Eligible participants are over 48, have radicular leg symptoms with neurological deficits for at least 12 weeks, and imaging (MRI or CT) confirming central or lateral lumbar spinal stenosis. Physical therapy sessions will include routine outcome measures, functional tests, and may include a two-stage treadmill test while clinicians note whether the patient demonstrates a directional preference (a movement or position that reduces symptoms). The study will describe how often directional preference occurs and relate it to imaging findings and clinical exam features without changing standard clinical care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If a directional preference is common, therapists could use that information to better tailor exercises and positioning to reduce symptoms and improve walking for patients with lumbar stenosis.
How similar studies have gone: Directional preference approaches (for example McKenzie methods) have shown benefit in some back pain populations but have limited and mixed evidence specific to lumbar spinal stenosis.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Neurogenic claudication (pain in the buttock, thigh, or leg during ambulation) or radicular leg symptoms with associated neurological deficits on the physical examination for at least 12 weeks. * Confirmatory cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrating the presence of either central or lateral lumbar spinal stenosis at one or more levels was required. * Age \>48 years old * Willing and able to consent * Scheduled to receive physical therapy that includes the collection of patients outcomes, functional tests, and may include the conduct of a two-stage treadmill test Exclusion Criteria: * Radiographic evidence of instability, degenerative spondylolisthesis, fracture, or scoliosis of more than 15°. * Comorbid health conditions precluding surgical management, prior lumbar surgery, progressive neurological deficit, any inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or indication of a potential non-musculoskeletal spinal condition (e.g., active malignancy, infection, etc.)
Where it's running
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NYU Langone Health
Lake Success, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: William Oswald, DPT — NYU Langone Health
- Study coordinator: Bob Chang
- Email: Bob.chang@nyulangone.org
- Phone: 516-467-8731
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.