Predictors of Response to Manual Physiotherapy Using Somatosensory Profiles in Patients With Cervicobrachial Pain

University of Deusto

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Cervical Radicular Pain; Cervical Pain; Cervical Radiculopathy

Treatments: Other: Manual physiotherapy and neurodynamic exercises

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06069362

FST_DCB

Details and patient eligibility

About

The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate about the characteristics that predict response to physiotherapy treatment in patients with nerve related neck arm pain. The main question to answer is whether there is a subgroup that responds better to physiotherapy treatment.

Participants will be assessed for clinical and neurophysiological characteristics prior to treatment. Afterwards they will receive 6 sessions of manual physiotherapy treatment along with home nerve gliding exercises once a week. Baseline measurements will be taken again after treatment to know if there have been any changes.

Full description

During the first visit, socio-demographic data will be collected. Then, participants will be assessed using the quantitative sensory testing (QST) to evaluate the excitability of the nervous system. In addition, questionnaires and scales will be used to obtain information on the psychosocial factors involved, neuropathic pain characteristics and on the disability caused by their situation.

Finally, various clinical tests will be carried out to obtain information on neck movement and irritability at closure of the intervertebral foramen, mechanosensitivity of the upper limb with neurodynamic testing and alterations in sensitivity, strength and myotatic reflexes. Also they will be asked for permission to access to their imaging tests.

Once the pre-treatment data has been obtained, the manual physiotherapy and exercise treatment will begin, which aims to reduce the irritability of the nervous system.

Once the treatment is completed, the initial measurements will be repeated along with a global rating of change scale to classify patients as responders vs. non-responders.

Enrollment: 91 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 80 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Subjects with unilateral cervicobrachial pain

Exclusion criteria

• Signs of severe disease, cervical myelopathy, tumour, rheumatic diseases or a neurological pathology of central origin.
• Cervicobrachial pain of traumatic origin or as a result of whiplash.
• Previous surgical intervention of the cervical spine.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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91 participants in 1 patient group

Manual physiotherapy and neurodynamic exercises

Experimental group

Description:

The treatment applied forms part of the routine clinical practice and includes the following: * Cervical passive mobilisation techniques and techniques of the anatomical structures surrounding the nerve root. * Home neurodynamic sliders of the upper limb and cervical mobility exercises.

Treatment:

Other: Manual physiotherapy and neurodynamic exercises