Comparison of Conservative Treatment and Graston and Cup Applications in Patients With Cervical Disc Herniation

Effectiveness of Graston and Cupping Applications in Individuals With Cervical Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The aim of the study is to examine the effects of graston and dry cupping techniques applied in addition to the conservative treatment program on neck awareness, grip strength, balance and sleep quality in patients with cervical disc herniation between the ages of 18-65.

The research will be carried out on 30 cases diagnosed with cervical disc herniation between the ages of 18-65. The patients will be divided into 2 groups as control and experimental groups by simple randomization method. While the conservative physical therapy program is applied to the control group, the patients in the experimental group will be applied 1 day graston and 1 day dry cup technique in addition to the ones in the experimental group. All patients will be treated for 20 sessions, 5 days / 4 weeks. Fremantle Neck Awareness Questionnaire to assess neck awareness, hand dynamometer to assess grip strength, Berg Balance Scale to assess balance and Jenkins Sleep Scale to assess sleep quality will be used. All tests will be measured at the start of treatment and after 4 weeks of intervention. Pre- and post-intervention data were statistically analyzed and compared.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being between the ages of 18-65
• Being diagnosed with cervical disc herniation
• Being diagnosed with cervical disc herniation at the level of bulging or protrusion according to MRI results

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of cervical spine surgery history
• Presence of primary or spinal metastatic malignancy
• Having vascular problems
• Individuals with sleep apnea
• Those who use psychiatric drugs
• Presence of various pathologies in the upper extremity (fracture, ganglion cyst, etc.)