The effect of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation technique on treating cervical radiculopathy

Abstract

Electronic products such as computers and cell phones have raised the prevalence of cervical radiculopathy (CR). As the sedentary life of the population is increasing as well as the disorders in the cervical region, it is necessary to explore more effective ways of specific physiotherapeutic treatment protocols. This study aims to compare two different physiotherapeutic protocols for CR. This is a prospective nonrandomized research study, conducted in the Center For Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation "Banja Kllokotit", and the private clinic Fizio - Ana in Ferizaj, Kosovo, in 2022. The ethical approval was received by the rehabilitation center (no. 01/22) from the Kosovo Chamber of physiotherapists (no. 169), and the patients also provided informed consent. These are preliminary findings, and thirty patients of ages 20 to 80 were used. In the test group (N = 15), passive mobilizations, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) contract-relax technique, cupping massage, thermotherapy, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation were applied. The control group (N = 15) combined isometric-strengthening exercises and passive stretching with electrotherapy and hydrotherapy. The visual analog scale was applied on day one, day seven, and day ten, while the Neck Disability Index (NDI) was used before treatment. The experimental group had a decrease in pain on average of 1.73 (p-value = 0.006) in VAS 2. Even in VAS 3, we have the test F = 2.837 (p-value = 0.000). These findings demonstrate substantial variations between groups, while the NDI results revealed moderate disability during daily life activities in the control (3.20±0.77) and experimental groups (3.27±0.79). Passive mobilization combined with PNF technique is an extremely effective physiotherapeutic protocol for patients suffering from CR.