Cervical radiculopathy (CR) is a common condition characterized by the compression or irritation of nerve roots in the cervical spine, leading to pain and functional limitations. The use of various interventions, including cervical traction (CT) and neural mobilization (NM), has been reported in the management of CR. However, limited clinical data are available to support the effectiveness of these interventions. In 2021, Savva et al. conducted a study to evaluate the effects of CT, with or without the addition of NM, on pain, function, and disability in patients with CR.

The study was a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Sixty-six patients with CR were randomly allocated to three groups: a CT + NM group, a CT + sham NM group, and a wait-list control (WLC) group. The Neck Disability Index (NDI), the Patient-Specific Functional Scale, the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), grip strength, and cervical spine mobility were used as outcome measures. A two-way analysis of variance was used to evaluate differences between the three groups at baseline and at a 4-week follow-up.

At the 4-week follow-up, statistically and clinically significant between-group differences were found between the CT + NM and WLC groups in favor of the CT + NM group in NDI scores (d = 1.30), NPRS (d = 1.94), and active cervical rotation towards the opposite arm (d = 1.18). Significant differences were also found between the CT + NM and CT + sham NM groups in favor of the CT + NM group in NPRS (d = 1.21). No significant differences were observed between the CT + sham NM and WLC groups in all outcome measures. Clinically significant within-group improvements were found only for the CT + NM group.

The study results suggest that CT, in combination with NM, can improve pain, function, and disability in patients with CR. The addition of NM to CT appears to be more effective than CT alone or CT with sham NM. These findings have important clinical implications, as they provide evidence for the use of a combination of CT and NM in the management of CR. However, the study only evaluated the short-term effects of the interventions, and long-term effects need to be evaluated in future studies.

Reference: Savva C, Korakakis V, Efstathiou M, Karagiannis C. Cervical traction combined with neural mobilization for patients with cervical radiculopathy: A randomized controlled trial. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2021 Apr;26:279-289. doi: 10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.08.019. Epub 2020 Sep 2. PMID: 33992259.