Systematic review and meta-analysis of rehabilitation interventions for lumbar degenerative disc disease surgery patients

BACKGROUND: Rehabilitation and behavior change interventions are commonly used after lumbar surgery to improve recovery, but their effects on physical capacity and physical activity remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of rehabilitation and behavior change interventions on physical capacity and physical activity behavior in patients following lumbar surgery for degenerative disease. METHODS: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL were searched from inception to September 2025 and reference lists were hand-searched. Randomized controlled trials assessing rehabilitation or behavior change interventions on physical capacity or physical activity behavior in adults with lumbar degenerative disc disease who underwent lumbar surgery were included. Review author pairs independently extracted data and assessed included studies. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane tool, and study quality with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation classification. Results were pooled using random-effects models and reported as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Exercise was more effective than minimal or usual care in improving trunk extension endurance in the immediate term (SMD, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.93-2.16). Supervised exercise outperformed self-directed exercise in improving trunk extension endurance in the immediate term (SMD, 1.28; 95% CI, 0.75-1.81). Psychologically informed rehabilitation was more effective than minimal or usual care in increasing physical activity levels in the intermediate term (SMD, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.02-0.49), but not in the immediate term (SMD, 0.17; 95% CI, -0.14 to 0.49). Physical activity advice did not increase physical activity levels compared to minimal or usual care in the immediate term (SMD, 0.21; 95% CI, -0.13 to 0.55). Prehabilitation was more effective than minimal or usual care in increasing physical activity levels in the intermediate term (SMD, 0.28; 95% CI, 0.03-0.53). Certainty of evidence ranged from low to moderate. CONCLUSIONS: For adults with lumbar degenerative disease who underwent lumbar surgery, exercise, especially supervised programs, improved trunk extension endurance in the immediate term. Psychologically informed rehabilitation and prehabilitation increased physical activity levels in the intermediate term, while physical activity advice showed no benefit. Findings are limited by low certainty of evidence and high risk of bias.