The effectiveness of conservative treatment for patients with cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of conservative treatments for patients with cervical radiculopathy, a term used to describe neck pain associated with pain radiating into the arm. Little is known about the effectiveness of conservative treatment for patients with cervical radiculopathy.

METHODS

We electronically searched the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CINAHL for randomized clinical trials. Conservative therapies consisted of physiotherapy, collar, traction etc. Two authors independently assessed the risk of bias using the criteria recommended by the Cochrane Back Review Group and extracted the data. If studies were clinically homogenous, a meta-analysis was performed. The overall quality of the body of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE method.

RESULTS

Fifteen articles were included that corresponded to 11 studies. Two studies scored low risk of bias. There is low-level evidence that a collar is no more effective than physiotherapy at short-term follow-up and very low-level evidence that a collar is no more effective than traction. There is low-level evidence that traction is no more effective than placebo traction and very low level-evidence that intermittent traction is no more effective than continuous traction.

DISCUSSION: On the basis of low-level to very low-level evidence, no 1 intervention seems to be superior or consistently more effective than other interventions. Regardless of the intervention assignment, patients seem to improve over time, indicating a favorable natural course. Use of a collar and physiotherapy show promising results at short-term follow-up.