Evaluating the Efficacy of Marma Therapy for Pain in Lumbar Disc Herniation With Radiculopathy: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND

Marma therapy, a traditional Ayurvedic practice, involves the precise stimulation of marmas (vital points that regulate prana [vital energy]) and alleviates musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction. While historical texts describe marma's role in pain relief, no randomized controlled trials have evaluated its efficacy and safety in lumbar disc herniation (LDH)-related radiculopathy.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to explore the efficacy and safety of marma therapy in a commonly occurring painful condition, namely, radiculopathy due to LDH.

METHODS

Selected patients with LDH and radiculopathy are randomized into 2 groups using a computer-generated random number sequence. The participants in group 1 (the trial arm) are treated with marma therapy for 4 weeks, and those in group 2 (the control arm) receive physiotherapy for 4 weeks. All the participants in both groups are given an oral medicine, trayodashanga guggulu, an Ayurvedic formulation, for 12 weeks.

RESULTS

As of November 2025, a total of 90 patients have been enrolled in both groups. Data analysis is ongoing. The study will be reported following standard guidelines for reporting randomized controlled trials. Clinical trial results will be disseminated through conferences and publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

CONCLUSIONS

Marma therapy, if proven effective and safe in pain management, can improve the quality of life of patients with LDH. This protocol can be useful in designing large-scale studies to establish this noninvasive and safe treatment as an alternative modality for the management of neurological pain, such as radiculopathy.