Cervicobrachial Neuralgia
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of these study is to compare the effectivity of the Median Nerve Neural Mobilization technique to the complete absence of treatment in a group of patients who suffer cervicobrachial pain.
Detailed description
Median Nerve Neural Mobilization (MNNM) is a non invasive physical therapy technique that achieves pain relief through mechanical stimulation of the Median Nerve and the brachial plexus. It is believed that the hypoalgesic effect offered by the neural tissue mobilization procedure is a consequence of descending nervous system pain modulation activity and an improvement in the distinct biomechanical and sensitive properties of the involved neural tissue. The neural tissue mobilization procedure is associated to an increase in nerve mobility, edema, inflammation and intraneural pressure reduction without any known side effects when applied properly which is an important contrast to the wide variety of side effects caused by commonly used drug therapy to treat cervicobrachial pain. Despite the crescent interest among the scientific community in evidence based options to treat pain there is a current lack of enough controlled double blind clinical trials that measure the effectiveness of neural tissue mobilization techniques such as the (MNNM) and its specific effect over cervicobrachial pain. For this reason the present investigation consisted in the application of a treatment protocol based on Median Nerve Neural Mobilization in a controlled double blind clinical trial with the aim to assess its clinical effectiveness in treating pain symptoms.
Interventions
PROCEDUREMedian Nerve Neural Mobilization
Nonsurgical noninvasive Median Nerve neural mobilization procedure was applied by a physical therapist continuously during 2 minutes in 5 different occasions with 1 minute of rest between each 2 minute application of the Neural Mobilization technique. The intervention was applied during a period of 6 weeks. The maximum level of elbow extension movement degree without the reproduction of symptoms during the application of the Median Nerve Neural mobilization treatment was determined through the baseline use of a Universal Goniometer Device.
DEVICEGoniometer
Sponsors
Universidad Europea de Madrid
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 45 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Clinical diagnosis of cervicobrachial pain confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging * Presence of unilateral symptoms of arm pain, paresthesia or numbness in the upper extremity during at least 3 continuous months previous to the application of treatment. * Positive results in all of the following tests: Spurling, Distraction, and Upper Limb
Exclusion criteria
* Contraindication in the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) * The use of any type of treatment, therapy, procedure or drug to relieve pain * Patients who are under anticonvulsant, antidepressant or psychotropic medication * Vertebral instability * Vertebral osteoporosis * Vertebral or spine infection. * Neurologic diseases of genetic, infectious or neoplastic origin * Cervical stenosis myelopathy * Pregnancy * Kinesiophobia * Endocrine disorders and menopause * History of spine surgery * Intellectual disability, severe mental illness, intoxication, severe sleep deprivation, Alzheimer's disease.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline using the Numeric Rating Scale for Pain at 1 hour | at baseline for both arms and 1 hour after the application of treatment only in the experimental arm, corresponding to intervention days 1, 9 and 18. | the Numeric Rating scale for Pain (NRS) is an 11 point scale for patient self reporting of pain in which 0 points represents the total absence of pain and 10 points the worst state of pain, it was employed to evaluate the presence and relieve of cervicobrachial pain symptoms. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change from baseline of the Physical function involving the affected upper limb using the Quik DASH Scale | at baseline, corresponding to intervention days 1 and 18 of treatment | The disabilities of the arm quick test (Quick DASH) is a self report short questionnaire designed to measure physical function and symptoms in people with any or several musculoskeletal disorders of the upper limb. |
| Cervical Rotation Range of Motion (CROM) | at baseline for both arms and 1 hour after the application of treatment only in the experimental arm, corresponding to intervention days 1 and 18 . | Cervical rotation was assessed in units of rotation degrees, using the cervical range of motion device (CROM). |
Countries
Venezuela
Outcome results
None listed