Acute Effect of Neural Mobilization in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Study

Acute Effect of Neural Mobilization in Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Study

The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effect of neural mobilization techniques, one of the manual therapy methods that can be used in the treatment of cervical radiculopathy.

This study was designed as a randomized controlled experimental study and was conducted in the Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Department of Istanbul Medicana International Hospital. Population: The study included patients diagnosed with cervical disc herniation who were referred to physiotherapy sessions by a physician Patients were assigned to the Control Group(CG) or Neural Mobilization Group(NMG) by simple randomization. The control group received conventional physiotherapy while the neural mobilization group received neural mobilization of the ulnar median and radial nerves. The pain of the patients was evaluated with Numeric Pain Rating Sacale (NPRS) and Neuropathic Pain Questionnaire (NPQ) at the beginning and end of the intervention, while hand grip strength and pinch grip strength were evaluated with digital hand dynamometer (JAMAR Plus Digital Hand Dynamometer) and digital pinchmeter (JAMAR Plus Pinch Gauge). Pre- and post-intervention data were statistically analyzed and compared.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Participants meeting the following criteria were included in the study: age between 18 and 65 years, referred to physiotherapy with a diagnosis of cervical disc herniation, self-reported neck pain with a visual analog scale (VAS) score of more than 5, presence of pain radiating from the neck to the arm, and at least 3 of the following tests were positive: Spurling's Test, Upper Extremity Tension Test-1, Distraction Test, and ipsilateral cervical rotation less than 60 degrees. These tests were assessed by a trained examiner according to standardized procedures

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria were surgical intervention in the head and neck region, history of fracture in the head and neck region, known chronic disease, infection and structural disorders in the bone and soft tissue in the cervical spine, malignancy and severe osteoporosis.