Original researchThe Effects of Neck-Specific Training Versus Prescribed Physical Activity on Pain and Disability in Patients With Cervical Radiculopathy: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Section snippets
Trial design
This was a parallel-group randomized clinical trial with follow-up assessments at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months.18 The trial was registered before participant recruitment began (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01831271).
Participants
Patients with CR were recruited from a neurosurgical department from October 2010 to November 2012. Criteria for eligibility were as follows: (1) magnetic resonance imaging verified cervical disc disease showing cervical nerve root compression; and (2) neck and/or arm pain, verified with a neck
Results
Figure 1 provides a flow diagram of patient recruitment and retention. Recruitment of patients were performed between October 2010 and November 2012, and follow-ups were performed between January 2011 and November 2014. At the 3-month follow-up, 21 patients in the neck-specific training and 28 in the prescribed physical activity group had discontinued their participation and did not complete the follow-up assessments. At the 6-month follow-up, another 6 patients in the neck-specific training
Discussion
The results of the current study demonstrated that both training groups improved regardless of the intervention received. No interaction existed for either the primary or secondary outcomes indicating that 1 treatment was not superior to the other. However, there appeared to be slightly faster (although not significant) improvement for the neck-specific training group compared to the prescribed physical activity group. Because both groups experienced a significant reduction in pain, both
Conclusions
The study revealed that neck-specific training as well as prescribed physical activity, both including additional cognitive behavioral approach, decreased the pain in patients with CR, that is, participants improved regardless of the intervention received. There is a lack of consensus of how to best manage individuals with CR. However, our findings suggest that CR has a natural favorable long-term outcome when patients are prescribed neck-specific training and exercise in combination with a
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Supported by the Swedish Government through the Karolinska Institute, in the Swedish National School of Research Education in Health Care Sciences, and the Strategic Research Programme in Care Sciences, as well as from the Stockholm County Council Funding ALF Medicine (grant no 20110071).
Clinical Trial Registration No.: NCT01831271.
Disclosures: none.