Comparative effectiveness of manual intermittent cervical longitudinal mobilization versus pain modalities in cervical radiculopathy: A double blinded randomized controlled study

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Cervical radiculopathy is a common condition encountered in clinical practice and is characterized by compression or irritation of the nerve roots in the cervical spine. OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of manual intermittent cervical longitudinal mobilization (mICLM) and therapeutic modalities in managing acute, sub-acute and chronic radiculopathy pain. METHODS: This was a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Individuals with radiculopathies were randomized into interventional; (IG, n= 18) receiving mICLM and control group; (CG, n= 17), receiving Microwave Diathermy (MWD) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) at the cervico-dorsal area daily for two weeks. The neck pain disability index (NPDI), numeric pain rating scale (NPRS), and global rating of change score (GRoC) were used as outcome measures. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 23.0. RESULTS: Both mICLM and MWD with TENS were equally effective in reducing the pain and disability in either group. However, it was noted that mICLM had a better impact on acute, sub-acute and chronic cases of radiculopathy pain comparatively. Mean age was 42.3 (SD =± 10.9) years. 54.3% were between the age group of 40–60 years out of which 51.4% were male and 48.6% were female. 51.4% were in IG and 48.6% were in CG. The mean comparison of NPAD and NPRS within groups was significant with p< 0.01*. Post treatment mean comparison of NPAD outcomes in IG and CG remain significant with p= 0.004* and p< 0.01* respectively. The post NPAD and NPRS between IG and CG were found statistically insignificant with p= 0.75 and p= 0.57 respectively. CONCLUSION: mICLM and therapeutic modalities showed similar outcomes in managing radiculopathy pain. The study highlights the need for further research to understand the effectiveness of these interventions in larger patient populations.