Efficacy of intensive cervical traction on depression, insomnia, and quality of life in patients with cervical radiculopathy.

BACKGROUND

Radiculopathy can cause pain and numbness along a pinched nerve.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate how people with cervical radiculopathy respond to intense cervical traction in terms of depression, sleeplessness, and quality of life (QoL).

METHODS

Two equal groups of forty male patients with unilateral cervical radiculopathy were randomly assigned. In addition to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and other treatments, twenty individuals in group I received mechanical cervical traction. Group II consisted of twenty individuals who received only TENS treatment. Before and after treatment, every participant completed the Arabic versions of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and Short-Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36).

RESULTS

While there was no significant difference in group II, there was a significant decline in group I visual analog scale (P = 0.001), depression subscale of the hospital anxiety and depression score (P = 0.001), and ISI (P = 0.001). Eight domains of SF-36 showed a significant increase in group I. These domains included physical functioning (P = 0.001), role limitations due to physical health (P = 0.001), role limitations due to emotional problems (P = 0.001), and energy (P = 0.001). In group II, there was a non-significant increase nevertheless.

CONCLUSION

Cervical traction improved individuals' QoL, depression, and insomnia, suggesting the effectiveness of it with TENS for cervical radiculopathy patients.