Comparative Effectiveness of Cervical Stabilization Exercises and Vertical Oscillatory Pressure in the Management of Patients with Cervical Spondylosis

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of spinal pain reported is that more than a third of a billion people worldwide suffer from mechanical neck pain implicating degenerative cervical spondylosis. The burden of management of this condition lies with functional rehabilitation experts.

Objective: The study determined the comparative effectiveness of cervical stabilization exercises (CSE) and vertical oscillatory pressure (VOP) in the management of patients with cervical spondylosis.

Methods: The experimental study involved 40 patients with neck pain arising from cervical spondylosis. Informed consent was obtained and participants were assigned the two treatment groups of twice weekly regimen for six weeks. Treatment effects were assessed on pain intensity, anxiety level, disability index, health related quality of life and cervical range of motion using Visual Analogue Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Neck Disability Index, Short Form-12 questionnaire, and goniometer respectively at baseline, third and sixth weeks. Inferential statistics of Independent T-test, Paired T-test and Repeated Measure ANOVA were used to analyze data. Alpha level was set at p˂0.05 of significance. 

Results: The results showed VOP had significant effect on all variables while CSE also had significant effect on the variables except health-related quality of life (p = 0.382). 

Conclusion: CSE and VOP were effective in the management of cervical spondylosis. However, VOP should be preferred when improvement on quality of life is desired. VOP may be administered by physiotherapists on patients as part of the rehabilitation protocol to effectively manage neck pain arising from cervical spondylosis.

Keywords: Manipulation, Exercise, Cervical Spondylosis, Neck Pain, VOP