CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04915222Updated Jun 7, 2021

Manual Cervical Traction and Natural Apophyseal Glides for Cervical Radiculopathy Patients

An interventional study of Natural apophyseal glides and Cervical manual traction in Cervical Radiculopathy, sponsored by University of Lahore. Completed at 1 site in Pakistan. Open to participants aged 20 Years to 60 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-06-07.

Sponsored by University of Lahore · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Registered 2 years 8 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Sep 2018, registered May 2021).
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
72
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
20 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Cervical Radiculopathy is a clinical disorder of nerve root, and often is due to compressive or inflammatory pathology. There are number of different procedures which have been suggested for decreasing pain and disability in patients but manual therapy has been validated the effective technique. The objective of current research was to assess the comparative effectiveness of the Manual Cervical Traction and the Natural Apophyseal Glides on pain and disability among Cervical Radiculopathy patients.

A parallel design, randomized controlled trial was performed on 72 patients in physiotherapy department, Mayo Hospital Lahore. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups after baseline testing. Group A received natural apophyseal glides and baseline treatment and group B received manual cervical traction and baseline treatment. Treatment period was of 3 weeks with 3 weekly sessions on alternate basis. Assessment was done before treatment at baseline and then by second and third week using numeric pain rating scale and neck disability index. SPSS version 25 was used to analyzed the data.

Read the detailed description

72 patients who fulfill the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study. Written informed consent was taken from every subject participating in this study. Allocation of subjects in two groups has been done by random number table as per CONSORT guidelines 2010. Group A was treated with Natural Apophyseal Glides and group B with Manual Cervical Traction. Both groups received the conventional therapy along with the manual techniques. The conventional therapy included hot pack, Neck range of motion exercises, neck strengthening and stabilization exercises. The hot pack is a form of thermo therapywas applied for 10 to 15 minutes and was applied at each visit during 3 sessions per week for total 3 weeks. The strengthening and stabilization exercises are form of therapeutics exercise are prescribed at 15 to 20 times per session for total 3 weeks. Intensity of exercise may rise gradually according to patient tolerance and muscular strength.The conventional or baseline therapy remained same throughout the study.

Group A received conventional therapy and NAGS with 2-3 hertz (less than 6 repetitions) in 3 sets for 3 weeks. Group B received MCT along with traditional therapy. Treatment frequency was 3 sessions per week for total three weeks duration. MCT applied was intermittent type traction.8 to 10 kg force was applied at an angle of 20 to 25 degree from horizontal. 5sets of cervical traction are performed. In every set traction is given for 1 minute with rest period of 20 seconds. The total time of session was 10 minute.Pain intensity was measured by Numeric Pain Rating Scale. Functional ability was appraised by Neck Disability Index. All the information was collected by using standardized questionnaire of NPRS and NDI. Confounding variables are controlled by randomization and restriction methods. All treatment was given by single handed to control the biasness.Proforma of the patients which dropout during study was filled through intention to treat analysis method which was set as 15%.

02

Conditions studied

  • Cervical Radiculopathy

Browse trials for

Keywords

  • Cervical radiculopathy
  • manual traction
  • neck pain
03

In context

Radiculopathy

488 studies on the registry are indexed under Radiculopathy; 141 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 72 is above the median of 60 across 376 interventional studies indexed under Radiculopathy.

Browse Radiculopathy studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Lahore is the lead sponsor of 223 studies on the registry; 40 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
20 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

  • Subjects with clinically and radiologically diagnosed cervical radicular disease
  • Subjects with difficulties in carrying out daily activities due to radicular pain
  • Subject with bilateral/unilateral or both radicular pain
  • Both male, female patients between 20 and 60 years with the radicular pain

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Subjects having the mechanical cervical pain or the nonspecific pain of neck
  • Subjects having cervical myelopathy
  • Patients having any spine surgery or any malignancy
  • Subjects having pain because of postural imbalances
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
72 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Natural apophyseal glides

    This group receives natural apophyseal glides along with conventional physical therapy and manual techniques as treatment for 3 sessions per week on alternate days for 3 weeks

    Other: Natural apophyseal glides

  • Active comparator
    Cervical manual traction

    This group receives cervical manual traction along with conventional physical therapy and manual techniques as treatment for 3 sessions per week on alternate days for 3 weeks

    Other: Cervical manual traction

Interventions

  • OtherNatural apophyseal glides

    Patients received conventional therapy and NAGS with 2-3 hertz (less than 6 repetitions) in 3 sets for 3 weeks. The conventional therapy included hot pack, Neck range of motion exercises, neck strengthening and stabilization exercises. The hot pack is a form of thermo therapywas applied for 10 to 15 minutes and was applied at each visit during 3 sessions per week for total 3 weeks. The strengthening and stabilization exercises are form of therapeutics exercise are prescribed at 15 to 20 times per session for total 3 weeks. Intensity of exercise may rise gradually according to patient tolerance and muscular strength.

  • OtherCervical manual traction

    Patients received cervical manual traction (CMT) along with traditional therapy. Treatment frequency was 3 sessions per week for total three weeks duration. CMT applied was intermittent type traction.8 to 10 kg force was applied at an angle of 20 to 25 degree from horizontal. 5sets of cervical traction are performed. In every set traction is given for 1 minute with rest period of 20 seconds. The total time of traction session was 10 minute. The conventional therapy included hot pack, Neck range of motion exercises, neck strengthening and stabilization exercises. The hot pack is a form of thermo therapywas applied for 10 to 15 minutes and was applied at each visit during 3 sessions per week for total 3 weeks. The strengthening and stabilization exercises are form of therapeutics exercise are prescribed at 15 to 20 times per session for total 3 weeks. Intensity of exercise may rise gradually according to patient tolerance and muscular strength.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change from Baseline in Numeric Pain Rating Scale

    Pain intensity was measured using numeric pain rating scale

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks

  2. Change from Baseline in Neck Disability Index

    Functional ability was measured using neck disability index

    Time frame: Baseline and 3 weeks

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Physiotherapy Department of Mayo Hospital
    Lahore, Punjab 54000, Pakistan
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — There is no plan to share individual participant data

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jun 7, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04915222
Lead sponsor
University of Lahore
Collaborators
King Edward Medical University
Responsible party
Mariam Ghazanfar (Senior Lecturer, University of Lahore) — Principal investigator
First posted
Jun 7, 2021
Start date
Sep 10, 2018
Primary completion
Mar 15, 2019
Completion
Mar 15, 2019
Last update
Jun 7, 2021

Study contacts

Mariam Ghazanfar
principal investigator · University of Lahore

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in May 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion