Table 1 Comparison of demographic data between the physical therapy and surgery groups at the baseline

Age (years)

72.5 ± 7.0

70.9 ± 8.4

0.28*

72.1 ± 7.3

71.1 ± 7.9

0.80^‡

Sex

Female: 21

Female: 94

0.60^†

Female: 19

Female: 19

1.00^†

Male: 17

Male: 92

Male: 14

Male: 14

Body mass index (kg/m²)

23.4 ± 2.8

23.9 ± 3.3

0.38^‡

23.5 ± 2.9

23.8 ± 3.4

0.73*

Duration of symptoms (months)

31.2 ± 29.7

25.2 ± 27.7

0.10^‡

26.7 ± 26.0

25.8 ± 28.0

0.61^‡

 Hypertension

25 (66)

121 (65)

0.93^‡

22 (67)

17 (52)

0.21^†

 Diabetes

10 (26.3)

45 (24.2)

0.78^‡

9 (27)

7 (21)

0.57^†

 Heart disease

8 (21)

27 (15)

0.31^‡

7 (21)

4 (12)

0.32^†

 Pulmonary disease

4 (11)

12 (7)

0.37^‡

4 (12)

1 (3)

0.16^†

Smoking, n (%)

0.25^‡

0.42^†

 Never

25 (66)

130 (70)

23 (70)

26 (79)

 ex-smoker

11 (29)

35 (19)

8 (24)

4 (12)

 current smoker

2 (5)

21 (11)

2 (6)

3 (9)

Severity of stenosis at most stenotic level

< 0.01^†

< 0.17^†

 Minor (Grade A)

7 (18)

10 (5)

6 (18)

1 (3)

 Moderate (Grade B)

15 (40)

50 (27)

12 (36)

12 (36)

 Severe (Grade C)

16 (42)

121 (65)

15 (46)

19 (58)

 Extreme (Grade D)

0 (0)

5 (3)

0 (0)

1 (3)

Total number of severe stenoses (more than grade C)

0.6 ± 0.8

1.0 ± 0.9

< 0.01^‡

0.7 ± 0.9

0.8 ± 0.7

0.42^‡

Spondylolisthesis, n (%)

25 (66)

108 (58)

0.38^†

21 (64)

24 (73)

0.43^†

% slippage (mm)

7.2 ± 6.8

8.9 ± 9.5

0.50^‡

7.5 ± 7.2

8.4 ± 7.6

0.75^‡

Severe LSS symptoms*

6 (16)

62 (33)

0.03^†

5 (15)

7 (21)

0.52^†

 Symptom severity

3.2 ± 0.5

3.5 ± 0.6

0.02^‡

3.3 ± 0.5

3.3 ± 0.6

0.52^‡

 Physical function

2.4 ± 0.6

2.7 ± 0.6

0.01^‡

2.4 ± 0.6

2.4 ± 3.1

0.97*

Numerical rating scale

 Back pain

5.3 ± 2.5

5.8 ± 2.7

0.21^‡

5.1 ± 2.5

5.2 ± 2.5

0.77*

 Leg pain

6.4 ± 2.2

6.8 ± 2.6

0.17^‡

6.4 ± 2.2

6.2 ± 2.7

0.98^‡

 Leg numbness

5.7 ± 2.7

5.9 ± 3.0

0.50^‡

5.9 ± 2.7

6.4 ± 2.7

0.36^‡

 Pain-related disorders

56.0 ± 30.2

44.2 ± 33.5

0.04^‡

57.7 ± 30.8

53.3 ± 31.6

0.59^‡

 Lumbar dysfunction

63.1 ± 27.7

57.5 ± 28.3

0.27^‡

62.9 ± 28.8

65.9 ± 23.0

0.81^‡

 Gait disturbance

40.7 ± 27.2

31.8 ± 24.8

0.06^‡

39.5 ± 27.3

41.3 ± 24.9

0.83^‡

 Social life dysfunction

44.2 ± 18.1

36.8 ± 20.5

0.03^‡

44.4 ± 19.1

46.0 ± 17.6

0.89^‡

 Psychological disorders

50.9 ± 14.2

43.8 ± 17.5

0.01^‡

50.3 ± 14.4

48.8 ± 13.8

0.62^‡

 Physical functioning

60.5 ± 20.3

45.6 ± 22.7

< 0.01^‡

57.9 ± 20.2

59.1 ± 20.6

0.81*

 Bodily pain

38.3 ± 14.3

31.1 ± 15.5

< 0.01^‡

38.8 ± 15.0

39.2 ± 17.5

0.83^‡

 Role physical

53.5 ± 25.5

40.3 ± 25.8

< 0.01^‡

55.5 ± 26.4

50.8 ± 24.8

0.46*

 Role emotional

61.8 ± 27.5

46.5 ± 30.1

< 0.01^‡

63.9 ± 28.3

57.3 ± 23.9

0.16^‡

 Mental health

62.6 ± 21.6

57.1 ± 20.6

< 0.05^‡

60.5 ± 21.8

59.4 ± 21.1

0.62^‡

 Social functioning

70.7 ± 26.8

59.7 ± 27.7

0.02^‡

70.1 ± 27.6

69.7 ± 28.1

0.98^‡

 Vitality

53.5 ± 19.2

46.7 ± 22.2

0.07^‡

52.1 ± 20.1

51.9 ± 17.8

0.98^‡

 General health

49.3 ± 14.8

49.1 ± 16.7

0.86^‡

48.8 ± 14.0

50.5 ± 14.1

0.61*

 Depression

5.2 ± 3.1

5.9 ± 3.9

0.46^‡

5.6 ± 3.1

5.3 ± 2.8

0.72*

 Anxiety

4.2 ± 2.6

5.7 ± 3.9

0.03^‡

4.5 ± 2.6

4.4 ± 3.1

0.95^‡

Pain catastrophizing scale

28.0 ± 10.4

31.9 ± 11.0

0.03^‡

29.4 ± 10.1

30.9 ± 9.7

0.55*

Pain anxiety symptoms  scale-20

37.1 ± 17.2

43.0 ± 16.8

> 0.05*

39.7 ± 16.2

44.8 ± 15.0

0.20*